novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
AT THE EDGE OF THE ORCHARD
Written by Tracy Chevalier
2016; Viking/Penguin (289 Pages)
Genre: historical fiction, fiction, fruit
RATING: 4 STARS
In the mid-1800s James and Sadie Goodenough settle in the swamps of Ohio as that is where their wagon got stuck. As James, his wife and five children start to cultivate the land James looks into buying samplings of apple seeds and this starts his obsession with his various apples trees. As James tends to his orchard, Sadie is inside the home drinking apple jack to deal with life on the frontier. She is stewing over her unfulfilled life, and mentally torturing her children in spite and for sport. James and Sadie are at each throats and nothing seems to make them happy.
Fifteen years later we follow the youngest child, Robert as he tries to get away from his past and family. He tried to mine for gold in California but finds himself selling seeds for a naturalist. He seems to have found himself back in the family business. Can Robert run away from his past and will his future hold something different and happiness for him?
I have read about four books by Tracy Chevalier novels - all historical fiction - and have loved her characters, plots, eras and the way she describes everything. I have not read Chevalier in a few years but have missed the experience so I grabbed a hold of this opportunity to read and review At the Edge of the Orchard and in a way it was what I expected and a surprise. As always, once I start reading a Chevalier book I am hooked till it ends. This time I was surprised that this subject matter was very interesting to me and I kind of want to know more about farming and growing in the mid-1800s. I just enjoyed everything about this book, except in my copy of the book the switch between characters' voices is sometimes not clear...minor matter for me.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
Written by Tracy Chevalier
2016; Viking/Penguin (289 Pages)
Genre: historical fiction, fiction, fruit
RATING: 4 STARS
In the mid-1800s James and Sadie Goodenough settle in the swamps of Ohio as that is where their wagon got stuck. As James, his wife and five children start to cultivate the land James looks into buying samplings of apple seeds and this starts his obsession with his various apples trees. As James tends to his orchard, Sadie is inside the home drinking apple jack to deal with life on the frontier. She is stewing over her unfulfilled life, and mentally torturing her children in spite and for sport. James and Sadie are at each throats and nothing seems to make them happy.
Fifteen years later we follow the youngest child, Robert as he tries to get away from his past and family. He tried to mine for gold in California but finds himself selling seeds for a naturalist. He seems to have found himself back in the family business. Can Robert run away from his past and will his future hold something different and happiness for him?
I have read about four books by Tracy Chevalier novels - all historical fiction - and have loved her characters, plots, eras and the way she describes everything. I have not read Chevalier in a few years but have missed the experience so I grabbed a hold of this opportunity to read and review At the Edge of the Orchard and in a way it was what I expected and a surprise. As always, once I start reading a Chevalier book I am hooked till it ends. This time I was surprised that this subject matter was very interesting to me and I kind of want to know more about farming and growing in the mid-1800s. I just enjoyed everything about this book, except in my copy of the book the switch between characters' voices is sometimes not clear...minor matter for me.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
mary_juleyre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Domestic abuse
Minor: Incest and Rape
joyfulbert's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this book up on a Friday afternoon, seeking a short escape from the stresses of work, and put down a finished book at 4am on Saturday morning. This book absolutely stole me away from the very first chapter. More fool me for thinking I could have a 'quick' reading session with a Chevalier book - she creates such complete and vibrant worlds that I don't want to leave until I have reached the back cover.
pofeland's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Really enjoyed this, I love historical fiction and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed learning about trees. There was a lot of sadness and misfortune however there was also hope for the main character and his life beyond the ending, and for the life of the trees.
juliana_aldous's review against another edition
4.0
Great novel to escape from politics--includes a few of my favorite things such as historical fiction, California history, San Francisco, Gold Rush, Redwoods and Sequoias.
lreay89's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very profound book. I finished it yesterday so I've now had a chance to digest it a bit more.
I would definitely recommend this book to a book club as its got lots of different layers to it.
First of all I LOVE how cleverly Tracy has used the name Goodenough! All the characters are in their own ways aspiring to be 'good enough'. What a fantastic use of wording as their surname.
Sadie: Good how I hated this character. Loathed her. But yet understood where her faults where coming from. She's a woman who will never take responsibility for her actions. She's cruel to her children taking delight in making their life as miserable as she perceives her own. She's constantly at odds with James (see spoiler above for why this is) and delights in causing him upset especially when she perceives he's taking some joy from their environment - namely in Apple trees.
James: I felt sorry for the guy. Having to leave his family and all he had known as well as being stuck with the menacing and dementor like sucking of his wife's awful personality. I do not condone violence of any kind ever but the violence in this relationship is used to express James complete helplessness at his wives behaviour. At a time when you were literally stuck with someone forever for better or worse. Not only did he have a wife who was sucking everything out of him but the swamp did too making everything perpetually dirty and literally sucking them all into it. James takes refuge in his apple trees to try and create something literally sweet. James likes sweet things and Sadie likes sour things. Again a clever narrative that helps to explore the husband and wife dynamic as well as their personalities.
Molly and Robert being used as mirrors for their parents misbehaviour was also genius. Molly being the girl Sadie wished she could be and likewise with Robert and James.
Robert spends a lot of his time in the book running away from his problems and this is used literally as he flees across america. Although his love for nature always sustains him.
This is a fascinating book about hardship, poverty, discovery and human nature all wrapped around Apple trees (of all things).
This is not a light read. As pointed out above it would be perfect for a book club to get their teeth into and have discussions around. I can imagine in 50 years time this being a book on a English literature syllabus. Plenty of juxtaposition in Sadie and James characters as well as symbolism throughout this book.
I really enjoyed it, in a way only a book with deeper meaning can have on a reader.
I would definitely recommend this book to a book club as its got lots of different layers to it.
First of all I LOVE how cleverly Tracy has used the name Goodenough! All the characters are in their own ways aspiring to be 'good enough'. What a fantastic use of wording as their surname.
Sadie: Good how I hated this character. Loathed her. But yet understood where her faults where coming from. She's a woman who will never take responsibility for her actions
Spoiler
she's constantly moaning about how the other Goodenough wives do not like her but conveniently forgets that's because she flirts and ultimately sleeps with one of James brothers causing them to have to leave for the swampJames: I felt sorry for the guy. Having to leave his family and all he had known as well as being stuck with the menacing and dementor like sucking of his wife's awful personality. I do not condone violence of any kind ever but the violence in this relationship is used to express James complete helplessness at his wives behaviour. At a time when you were literally stuck with someone forever for better or worse. Not only did he have a wife who was sucking everything out of him but the swamp did too making everything perpetually dirty and literally sucking them all into it. James takes refuge in his apple trees to try and create something literally sweet. James likes sweet things and Sadie likes sour things. Again a clever narrative that helps to explore the husband and wife dynamic as well as their personalities.
Molly and Robert being used as mirrors for their parents misbehaviour was also genius. Molly being the girl Sadie wished she could be and likewise with Robert and James.
Robert spends a lot of his time in the book running away from his problems and this is used literally as he flees across america. Although his love for nature always sustains him.
This is a fascinating book about hardship, poverty, discovery and human nature all wrapped around Apple trees (of all things).
This is not a light read. As pointed out above it would be perfect for a book club to get their teeth into and have discussions around. I can imagine in 50 years time this being a book on a English literature syllabus. Plenty of juxtaposition in Sadie and James characters as well as symbolism throughout this book.
I really enjoyed it, in a way only a book with deeper meaning can have on a reader.
sammilittlejohns's review against another edition
3.0
I actually really enjoyed this book, however I think there are somethings which just weren't there that would've made me LOVE this story.
First things first, I LOVE AMERICAN HISTORY. Love it. Esp the American west. So I saw this book, the cover is gorgeous and the story sounds like everything I could ever possibly want in a book, plus I loved the Girl with the Pearl Earring. Now, as I said, I did really like this story, but I just felt like something was missing. I think there needed to more development in terms of character or story or SOMETHING, it all just whizzed by, and I'd have quite gladly have read another hundred pages of this story if that's what it meant.
Overall a good little story, I just think it could've made an amazing longer one.
First things first, I LOVE AMERICAN HISTORY. Love it. Esp the American west. So I saw this book, the cover is gorgeous and the story sounds like everything I could ever possibly want in a book, plus I loved the Girl with the Pearl Earring. Now, as I said, I did really like this story, but I just felt like something was missing. I think there needed to more development in terms of character or story or SOMETHING, it all just whizzed by, and I'd have quite gladly have read another hundred pages of this story if that's what it meant.
Overall a good little story, I just think it could've made an amazing longer one.
jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Dieses Buck weckt Lust auf Äpfel. Während des Lesens kam ich nicht umhin, ständig an einem zu knabbern.
Im Übrigen war ich überrascht, wie sehr mich diese Geschichte in ihren Bann gezogen hat. Tracy Chevalier habe ich immer als Autorin mit eher emotionaler Zielgruppe verstanden, zu der ich absolut nicht gehöre. Tja, falsch gedacht.
Ich bin abgetaucht in diese Familiengeschichte, die uns die Zeit der Siedler in Amerika näher bringt. Und das Leben der Bäume, das im Alltag viel zu schnell in Vergessenheit gerät. Doch Bäume und Äpfel sind nicht nur Auslöser, sondern auch starke Symbole für die Familie und das Leben.
Im Übrigen war ich überrascht, wie sehr mich diese Geschichte in ihren Bann gezogen hat. Tracy Chevalier habe ich immer als Autorin mit eher emotionaler Zielgruppe verstanden, zu der ich absolut nicht gehöre. Tja, falsch gedacht.
Ich bin abgetaucht in diese Familiengeschichte, die uns die Zeit der Siedler in Amerika näher bringt. Und das Leben der Bäume, das im Alltag viel zu schnell in Vergessenheit gerät. Doch Bäume und Äpfel sind nicht nur Auslöser, sondern auch starke Symbole für die Familie und das Leben.
redewhurst's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
zoe_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I… don’t know. There was a lot that I liked but I felt quite detached from the characters and their plights. Maybe this is not super surprising because it’s almost a multi-generational family story (I rarely like those) but I believe I should habe liked this book better because of the trees alone.