THE ORCHARDIST by Amanda Coplin, 2012.
This debut novel is a lush period saga set in the Pacific Northwest at the end of the nineteenth century and it continues forward into the early decades of the twentieth, and depicts how several individuals brought together by circumstances are forged into a sort of family.
   The major character in this vividly written story is William Talmadge, who had moved into the valley during the Civil War, lost his family there, and then remained a fairly solitary figure, tending to and extending his orchards of apricot and apple trees, with help only from a roving band of horse herders. A gentle, quiet sort of man, he asked for little and remained a fairly self-sufficient person for many years. Until one day, when his peaceful existence is shattered by two scared young girls who steal his fruit in the town market and then follow him into the shelter of his orchards.
   Jane and Della are sisters, running from a drug and alcohol addict named Michaelson, and have been living some months in the wild. Talmadge cautiously takes them in and tries to protect them from whatever they have left behind.Their existence in the orchard is kept fairly quiet, except from the local midwife/herbalist, Caroline Middey, who kindly aids them over the course of the story in many ways.The girls, feral and distrusting even of Talmadge's kindness, uneasily hang around, and even give birth on his property, but Della's twins both die, while Jane's daughter, Angelene, survives.Then one day, the harmony in the valley is disrupted when Michaelson and his henchmen show up, leading to an unexpected tragedy that sets off a chain of events that changes all their lives.
  Coplin has written a very readable story about how the compassion in one man is awakened and he learns to care, to open himself to others and their problems, to realize what he's missed, and to live a fuller life with all its accompanying challenges and rewards. She does a credible job with her setting, with period description, adding good details about fruit picking and marketing, the coming of the railroad to the area, life in local prisons, provides a good glimpse of changing times in the Pacific Northwest. Her language is lush and flowing, the narrative moves along at a good pace, and she takes her time with developing her characters. At times it did seem somewhat slow and a bit too lengthy. However, Coplin's sensitive and realistic portrayal of the relationships between Talmadge, Della, Jane, and Angelene were well done and sympathetic, and the wise and motherly Caroline is a real standout. Dramatic and rich with emotion and power, Coplin's novel is an intelligent and engrossing character-driven story.

SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd, 2002.

This Southern novel has been on my to-read list for a long time, and as soon as I began reading it, I was pulled in. Kidd is a fine writer who knows how to tell a story, is super with her characterizations and dialogue, and really puts some feeling into it.
   Set in South Carolina during the first part of 1964, President Johnson has just signed the Civil Rights Act. Shortly after that event, 14 year old Lily Owens, unhappy with who she is and her treatment by her unlovable father, T. Ray (who blames Lily for her mother's early death), goes into town with Rosaleen, the kind black woman who has raised her. Rosaleen intends to register to vote, but on the way she insults three of the town's racists, and the two females are thrown into jail. Once freed, Lily springs Rosaleen, and the pair take off for Tiburon, S.C., a place known to Lily only from the back of a picture of a black Madonna that Lily found among her mother's things and kept in a box in her room. Once they reach Tiburon, they are taken in by three black beekeeping sisters, May, August, and June. Lily, anxious to discover the connection between her mother and the town, manages to insinuate herself into their lives in the hopes of sticking around a while. The kind, rather eccentric sisters protect the two refugees and provide a temporary haven from their troubles.
   August takes the teenager under her wing, and Lily learns about beekeeping and making honey, about relationships and memories and stories and living the life you are given. She and Rosaleen soon fit right into the ladies' routine; they are even invited to the sisters' somewhat unorthodox religious services surrounding the figurehead of a ship, which they call the "Black Mary," and meet other community members who attend their services. As stories are told and old secrets emerge, bits and pieces of information fall into place and the full story is revealed gradually to Lily, who realizes just how important these women are to her life. When the mystery of her mother's connection with these black women becomes clear, it means everything in the world to Lily and her future.
   Kidd has created a beautifully told story, with an interesting plotline, great descriptions of beekeeping practices and honey making, and colorful characters that the reader can care about. I found it enjoyable and homey and comfortable, a good read.

NOAH'S COMPASS by Anne Tyler, 2009.

Never read an Anne Tyler novel until this one. Read several reviews and thought it might be a good novel to discuss in my book discussion groups.Tyler is a popular author, and now I see why. She has a winning writing style, it almost seems effortless, and she has a knack for writing about everyday things in a believable way. Liam Pennywell, the main character in this contemporary novel, lives in Baltimore and is forced to take early retirement at age 61 from his teaching job in a private school. Not particularly upset by it, he decides to shed most of his possessions and moves to a small apartment in a different part of the city. He goes to bed one night and wakes up the next day in the hospital, with no idea why he is there or how he got there. Disturbed by his difficulties in remembering what happened, he goes on a quest to find out and ends up making other discoveries about himself and others along the way that are quite unexpected.Tyler's characters are wonderfully drawn: Liam is likeable, memorable, so true to life and easy to relate to. All of Tyler's characters are interesting: Liam's ex-wife Barbara, his daughters Xanthe, Louise, and Kitty (who wants to live with him), his friend Bundy, Kitty's somewhat deadbeat boyfriend Damian, his young grandson Jonah, and Liam's sort of girlfriend, Eunice.They are flawed and human and funny--Tyler uses humor to great advantage. Her portrait of Liam is sympathetic and interesting and seems very true to life in terms of someone who is facing and attempting to cope with the final phase of his own life. Totally enjoyable.

Poldark Lives!

Recently re-watched the PBS series "Poldark" on DVD. First released in 1975, it came out on VHS a number of years ago, and now on DVD. Based on the first four novels of a 13 book series by Winston Graham and set in Cornwall, the main plotlines concern the characters of Capt. Ross Poldark, his cousin Francis Poldark, the ignorant waif Demelza, and the beautiful but shallow Elizabeth Chynoweth. Beginning in 1783, with Ross returning home from his service in the American Revolution to Cornwall (after being thought dead) to find his father dead, his home Nampara in a neglected state, his copper mines about to close, and his fiancee Elizabeth about to marry his cousin Francis, the story moves forward at a fairly good clip, involving more characters and storylines. There are 16 episodes in the first series; a second series was filmed as well--based on the next three books. And yes, while there are soap opera elements to the stories, the episodes remain close to the original novels, and the focus remains mostly on Ross and Demelza, two wonderfully drawn creations: Ross is a brooding, unruly sort of character, a heroic type who cares deeply for people and wants to do right, but gets himself into trouble because he can also be inflexible in his attitude. Demelza is a more free spirited type, smart and unafraid to share her thoughts, who doesn't understand why everyone can't learn to live together in peace. Other interesting characters include Verity Poldark and her longing for another life outside of Trenwith; George Warleggan, wealthy and socially inferior to the Poldarks and with a terrible jealous streak, continually makes trouble which creates a feud that runs through the entire TV and book series; Dr. Enys, young idealistic physician, whose lust for a miner's wife leads to tragedy; Francis and Elizabeth, whose marriage is an unhappy union for various reasons, all of which lead back to Ross; heiress Caroline Penvenen of Killewarren, who becames fascinated with Enys; Jud and Prudie, Ross' servants, who are poor but tough locals, and who provide some of the humor in these stories. I remember these stories with pleasure and enjoyed viewing them again. I read the novels years ago after viewing the TV series, and Graham's books are wonderfully done, with colorful, vivid characters and plenty of historical details, covering the gamut of human emotion and interaction: drama and heartache and inspiration and happiness and love and hate and loss, and even details on copper mining in Cornwall during the late 18th century. PBS did an excellent job of adapting and producing the series from the novels, and it has held up very well since 1975. If you've never viewed the TV series before (or even if you did years ago), the episodes are worth another look. And the books are well worth reading.You will be quickly drawn into the lives of these characters and enjoy the wonderful storytelling!

Just finished this yesterday: SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy, 2009.

Conroy is not a writer whose books I necessarily seek out. In fact, the only book of his I had read before this one was Prince of Tides, and that was many years ago... I was drawn to this one mainly because it's set in Charleston, South Carolina, an historic city I've visited several times over the years and am very fond of.

Most of South of Broad's action takes place in Charleston, and Conroy does an excellent job in his descriptions of the city, his use of real place names, etc. I could feel myself walking down Meeting Street, stepping into St. Michael's Church, and strolling along the Battery. The story involves a group of teens who meet the summer before their senior year in 1969 and who become lifelong friends, and continues 20 years later, in 1989, when they are adults and following their various paths. The two time periods/stories move back and forth through the book. Leo King, isolated and lonely, struggling to heal himself, is the heart of this group, which includes the glamorous just-come-to-town Sheba Poe and her brother Trevor; the damaged orphans Niles and Starla Whitehead; Ike Jefferson, Leo's football training partner and son of the new black coach; Betty Roberts, a sassy black orphan; the old Charleston money kids Molly Huger and Chad Rutledge and his sister Fraser. These kids become a close-knit group, whose lives remain intertwined as their circle widens. They survive issues of integration, loyalty, love, parental authority, prejudice, depression, alcoholism, acceptance, and multiple tragedies, some becoming stronger and some ruining their lives. These kids are troubled as teens, and they become more messed up as adults. Conroy piles on plenty of old secrets and scandals, supplies chilling horror when the Poes' insane father shows up, and uses Hurricane Hugo to set some things right in their world. While at times Conroy's characters seem a little too old and wise (especially as teenagers), they are interesting and well defined, full of emotion and energy. His writing is just wonderful, with plenty of wit and humor, as well as solemness and elegance and grace. Full of enthusiasm, beauty, wildness, cruelty, social graces and customs, emotional turbulence and the power of love and redemption, this novel really is thought provoking and moving. It was a very worthwhile read for me.

I just finished reading

A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick, 2009.

Set in Wisconsin in 1907-08, a wasteland of snow and ice, this novel really was just so engrossing and it's hard for me to describe it. It begins with a 50+ year old wealthy man, Ralph Truitt, advertising for "a reliable wife"; Catherine Land answers the ad and arrives by train from Chicago. Both characters have dark secrets and hidden plans, slowly revealed, and they are both involved with a third character, Antonio. There's drama and heartbreak and rage and guilt and misery and love and sex (lots of sex) and motives that at first are not clear. Some good surprises, and the ending, while sort of expected, still is rather shocking. Overall, very interesting, well written, good suspense, description, and complex characters in their emotions and motives. Not a quick read, but very satisfying.