THE ORCHARDIST
by Amanda Coplin
I learned about The Orchardist from one of our L&L Readers, Kathleen, who included it on a list of her top five books of the year that she emailed to us. (Shuggie Bain, reviewed in March 2021, was also on that list.) Thank goodness for reader recommendations or I may have missed this truly unforgettable book.
Describing The Orchardist’s storyline presents a real challenge; but, that in large part is what makes The Orchardist unique. Set in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the twentieth century, the reader is quietly yet deftly drawn into a narrative of William Talmadge’s life. Living alone for the past forty years among his apricot and apple orchards, Talmadge still aches for his sister, who mysteriously disappeared years before and was never found. When two teenage girls—both visibly pregnant—steal fruit from his cart at the fruit market, his life is forever changed and their lives become inextricably bound together.
The Orchardist is a grand, sweeping story of loneliness, cruelty and compassion. Talmadge discovers anew the joys and heartaches of letting people into his life. Not only does the story in The Orchardistcaptivate, but Coplin writes with a breathtakingly beautiful style, truly cinematic in its ability to put you in the orchards with Talmadge and the girls. Or on a train with Talmadge as he experiences it for the first time. Or in a jail cell when he visits one of the girls there. In so many ways, The Orchardist is an absolute must read. You will love it. (Liz)
