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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Just OK
Enjoyed the book but the story was sad.
Beautifully written. Very human characters. Flawed, damaged by life yet sincere, honorable, enduring. Bittersweet.
Loved this book
Wholly original plot and specific sense of time and space with unforgettable characters – both honorable and despicable, ill-fated and evolving.
Loved it
This book was so well-written and the characters so well-drawn that I felt like I knew them personally. I read the book a few years ago, but I still think of the story frequently, which is the sign of a good book.
The writing is not only only difficult to understand, it is extremely uninteresting.
Interesting historical look at the development of early Washington Columbia river area and a intriguing story Worth the time and effort
I would have rated it 5 stars except that it was a bit draggy at times. Overall, a great story, realistic historical perspective, and thought provoking characters. It was worth wading through the slow bits; after all, real life has its slow moments and isn’t all excitement and drama, thankfully.
I really enjoyed this book. Compelling characters. Excellent plot.
Thoroughly enjoyed the character development the author was able to convey with almost no dialogue. The rural setting in early 20th century Washington, the solitude and loneliness of the main character gripped me as he searched for first his sister and then later the child he took in. Unfortunately, the story took a sharp turn into a less than …
The Orchardist is set in a time and rural place that now seems lost to America. The characters are archtypically stoic and frequently unable to articulate their compelling feelings. But, we have the author’s voice to do that for them. This book is both a tragedy and an heroic expression of very ordinary people who lived in an earlier time.
One of my favorites. Fantastic characters
Beautifully written.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were wonderfully described and the writing superb.
Style of writing difficult to read. Book was too long. I almost gave up on it.
This is the second book I have read by this author. She is really a great story teller. I’ve learned some history through her books that I was not aware of. Unlike a lot of books, I can not predict what will happen next. Great book.
Well written, thought provoking.
Interesting look at characters pulled into life, not by their choosing. Not a happily ever after book. Although I finished it, the story didn’t pull me in to where I couldn’t stop reading.