1838: James and Sadie Goodenough have settled where their wagon got stuck – in the muddy, stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio. They and their five children work relentlessly to tame their patch of land, buying saplings from a local tree man known as John Appleseed so they can cultivate the fifty apple trees required to stake their claim on the property. But the orchard they plant sows the seeds of … of a long battle. James loves the apples, reminders of an easier life back in Connecticut; while Sadie prefers the applejack they make, an alcoholic refuge from brutal frontier life.
1853: Their youngest child Robert is wandering through Gold Rush California. Restless and haunted by the broken family he left behind, he has made his way alone across the country. In the redwood and giant sequoia groves he finds some solace, collecting seeds for a naturalist who sells plants from the new world to the gardeners of England. But you can run only so far, even in America, and when Robert’s past makes an unexpected appearance he must decide whether to strike out again or stake his own claim to a home at last.
Chevalier tells a fierce, beautifully crafted story in At the Edge of the Orchard, her most graceful and richly imagined work yet.
“With impeccable research and flawless prose, Chevalier perfectly conjures the grandeur of the pristine Wild West . . . and the everyday adventurers—male and female—who were bold enough or foolish enough to be drawn to the unknown. She crafts for us an excellent experience.”
—USA Today
From internationally bestselling author Tracy Chevalier, a riveting drama of a pioneer family on the American frontier
From the Hardcover edition.
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I loved books that take me places. Loved learning about apples!
Fascinating look at early 19th century rural America.
I learned some things that were interesting. I wasn’ that crazy about the characters.
Exceptional writing.
I loved this book! Maybe because I live in the midwest or maybe because Johnny Appleseed was a folk legend while I was in school, whatever the reason, this is a great read. I can see the characters as they travel, see them where they live and learned a little bit about trees along the way. Very enjoyable.
Although I enjoyed this story, it drove me to distraction at times with the endless descriptions of how to plant, graft & harvest apple trees. The characters are deep, each with their own issues, but the family orchard takes centre stage & leaves the reader longing to learn more about the cast & less about their farm. There are a few surprises on the way but nothing terribly exciting.
This is a strangely compelling novel about a family trying to eke out a living in the unforgiving American West back in the nineteenth century. Almost everyone is an alcoholic. Tragedy follows tragedy and it’s not a comfortable read, but since one family member becomes a plant hunter I learned a lot about plant hunting in America and, since I am an enthusiastic gardener, all the information about tracking down new species in California was fascinating for me.
William Lobb, I have the rose named after you in my garden, and it was a great pleasure to meet you in person in this novel, even though you seem to have had a very challenging personality.
Tracy Chevalier has never written a bad book. Couldn’t put it down.
Well written historical novel.
A unique story with an original concept.
Couldn’t finish it. Too depressing and troubling.
I could not get into the story. Put the book down after 2 chapters
Another page turner from Tracy Chevalier. Original, realistic, a complex tale.
Enjoyed this book but expected great. Loved the girl with the pearl earring. Hoped this would be just as good but found it less compelling.
Enjoyed exploring history of familiar places. I appreciate the research done and the ability to bounce back and forth between online resources and the story!
Normally I loce this author but this was not her best effort in my opinion. Story dragged, characters not sympathetic. I was verbdisappointed.
I like anything by Tracy Chevalier and this was no exception.
None of the offered words work. I was interested in the gathering of seeds end seedlings and the botany. The personal issues over shadowed that.
Not the quality of this author’s other books.
The first half of this novel started out really promising, and then it disintegrated into a strange, predictable, slap-sticky mess and anything interesting from the first half fell apart. Really disappointing.