Friday, August 21, 2015

The Orchardist, by Amanda Coplin

The Orchardist, by Amanda Coplin. Slow moving, details abounding, mesmerizing.  I was left wanting at every turn of events.  The story is about the orchardist from boyhood to old age.  To me, his is a lonely life, but to him his days are filled with the details of caring for his land and orchards while trying to solve the problem of what happened to the sister who disappeared.  Then two other young girls enter his life in a strange way, coming from a very depraved existence and reluctant to acknowledge his help.  Years later one of them continues to be the focus of all his efforts.  Yet she still denies his help.  But she left him a daughter with whom he struggles to accept his loss and continue on in the orchard.  Complicated story.  So many possibilities, so many diversions possible.  The ending still leaves a huge gap in my heart.  It hit me like a trip where the road narrows, closes in, you can’t turn around and then the road is closed ahead and you are trapped, unable to move. It’s just as far as you can go. You will want to keep reading it. 7 out of 10.