At once intimate and epic, The Orchardist is historical fiction at its best, in the grand literary tradition of William Faulkner, Marilynne Robinson, Michael Ondaatje, Annie Proulx, and Toni Morrison.
In her stunningly original and haunting debut novel, Amanda Coplin evokes a powerful sense of place, mixing tenderness and violence as she spins an engrossing tale of a solitary orchardist who … orchardist who provides shelter to two runaway teenage girls in the untamed American West, and the dramatic consequences of his actions.
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This story is like eating oysters – delicious in each part and there is the opportunity to find a treasure. The characters are built with stunning prose and etched , then filled in with motives and passions and ethics. The plot is simple and yet not. The inner searching of each character to find self and love and loyalty, to make choices about …
Beautiful. This is the world which most readily comes to mind in describing Amanda Coplin’s The Orchardist. The novel is haunting and moving and original, but even at it’s most tragic the language is still fresh. Present. Beautiful.
Set against a breathtaking landscape, the life of a secluded orchardist is forever changed when he opens his home …
I was impressed with this story. Shows the hardships many people faced when settling this country. It also shows how people helped each other out, regardless of their position in life.
The characters in this book were so rich, and the story of their tragic lives coming together so powerful I was completely wrapped up in the book so that when it ended I had to mourn. The writing is so good that at one point, I actually gasped in shock at a sudden turn of events. Truly a gem, this book!
This book started slow and quiet in keeping with the time in history where survival was a never-ending struggle against nature, poverty and misfortune. The characters didn’t seem engaging at first but as more is revealed, the story takes unexpected directions. The more I read, the more I could not stop reading. How can these seemingly simple …
Set in the country I grew up in, the book was true to the area. The characters were all quite strange but interesting A lot of food for thought.
Just couldn’t get into it, quit reading after 30 pages.
The story wasnt bad, but the writing style made it difficult to get through
The Orchardist was a total surprise to me. The main protagonist, a solitary man grows apples and pears in eastern Washington state. Stray young women happen into his land, and over time he nurtures them, helps raise them, and so much more. The information about the trees is as careful and honest as that about the women, and i cared about each, and …
Fascinating. Learned so much. Wonderful characters.
I found this a breathtaking window into the turn-of-the-century in the Pacific Northwest. I sank into the mesmerizing prose, and recommend it highly as a great example of a “wanderlust read”.
A beautifully written book. Take your time reading this one.
outstanding in every way!
Strong characters. Provoked thought. Enjoyable reading
I throughly loved this book!
slow start but got better
It grabs you from the beginning and keeps you there. The characters are very well developed , yet distant in a way. Makes one want to keep reading to discover more. Some may not like the ending, but
I thought it was perfect. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
One of my favourite books! Once I wade through some of the backlog of books on my Kindle I will read it again. I recommend this book to anyone who loves great writing combined with memorable characters. I didn’t want it to end!
Well written. Historically factual.
I just added this to my list of best of all time (66years for me). Main character had a great connection to the lan, very loyal friend, non judgmental and very generous. A wonderful character.