At The End of the Orchard

 

Once more a book is judged here by me with one simple question; did I learn anything? This book gives so much about effects of the terrible hardships of the early settlers as they spread across North America in those harsh days.  

At the end of the Orchard, is sewn together as skilfully as the nine square quilts these bold people slept beneath. The story is heart breaking and heart warming. As a side effect, I learned more about the culture of trees that one could possible think was interesting, but it surely is, combined the culture of those poor farmers. The story slyly not telling the reader what did actually happened 'At the Edge of the Orchard' but holding the dark secret in your mind. It was cunningly done and was well worth waiting for. The characters are all so strong. I like to cast the movie in my mind as a read an enjoyable book and I have Tom Hardy as James the apple growing father of an ever expanding and diminishing family, and Carey Milligan as the spiteful, pickled in Apple Jack, mother. I am thinking about Emma Watson as the lovable harlot. So far I have not cast the son, I'm having spot of bother with him. 

 Poignantly, I was staying in an orchard in a Gite in Burgundy whilst I read this wonderful story. 

I have read several books that have those travels at heart. One of those was also written by Tracy Chevalier and was another book that I was stunned by; The Last Runaway, worked around a Quaker girl travelling out from England to Ohio to join her sister. 

At the End of the Orchard, was the seventh book written by Tracy Chevalier that I have read. Most people have read the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring, and been enthralled with that story about the subject of the Vermeer Painting that we travelled to Den Haag to see. I equally loved Burning Bright, that has William Blake as a central figure. My favourite still, is The Virgin Blue, that I can barely speak of, so struck was I with that time slip idea. 

Too many wonderful books, so little time.