At the Edge of the Orchard

March 7, 2016
Chevalier may not be able to trump her wildly successful second novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, but her eighth outing is a compelling showcase of 19th-century American pioneering spirit in which a family from Connecticut struggles to establish an apple orchard in the swamplands of Ohio. James Goodenough can trace his family and his beloved Golden Pippin apples back to England, though he seeks his own future away from his family's farm. The story of his adventure going west unfolds from his point of view as well as from that of Sadie, his contentious wife, a tough woman with a wild libido and a hankering for applejack. True-life figure John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) plays a role in the Goodenoughs' fortunes, as does British plant collector William Lobb, who becomes a key figure to James and Sadie's youngest son, Robert, when circumstances force him to flee Ohio and make his own life on the West Coast. Against a backdrop of family travails in Ohio and personal revelations in California come intriguing facts about apples, such as their division into "eaters" and "spitters" (used for apple cider and applejack), as well as how American pine trees, redwoods, and Sequoias were painstakingly introduced to England. The author's insightful observations about domestic life and the pull of relationships bring depth to a family story that inevitably comes full circle in a most satisfying way.

December 15, 2015
Spanning 15 years and a journey from the Black Swamp of northeastern Ohio to California's redwood forests, Chevalier's (The Last Runaway, 2013, etc.) latest draws readers into the simple highs and the frequent lows of 19th-century pioneer life. When it comes to apples, James Goodenough "craved them more than whiskey or tobacco or coffee or sex." His supplier of seeds and saplings, John Chapman (the real-life Johnny Appleseed) provides trees, applejack, and life-saving wisdom for the Goodenough family. After nine years (and five deceased children) in the Black Swamp, John and his wife, Sadie, are at odds, he preferring to grow sweet apples, or "eaters," she preferring to grow sour apples, or "spitters," that can be made into cider and applejack. Sadie's mean streak and taste for alcohol drive the family to a breaking point before the narrative skips ahead to their youngest son Robert's solo journey across the West. The strongest part of the novel, which depicts the crackling rage and poignant struggle of the Goodenough's swamp-orchard life, comes to an end too soon, and readers are catapulted onto the road with Robert before it's made clear why he left home. Separated by a series of letters Robert writes home to his siblings, the Ohio and California portions of the novel seem almost to be two different books. The relief of Robert's escape from a dysfunctional childhood is contrasted with his crushing loneliness and his longing for Goodenough apples that can't be found outside the swamp. Nonfictional details bring the novel authenticity, often at the expense of character development or narrative cohesion.

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2016
In 1838, James and Sadie Goodenough leave the relative comforts of Connecticut to strike out on their own, ending up in the swamps of Ohio. Required to plant 50 trees in order to stake a claim, they and their five children work tirelessly to cultivate the land, buying their seedlings from Johnny Appleseed, who tells Sadie how to make applejack, an alcoholic beverage she grows a little too fond of. The backbreaking work and relentless winters take a terrible toll on the couple, who are forever fighting, and after an unfortunate and tragic accident, their youngest child, Robert, takes off for California. There he finds work with a naturalist collecting seeds from the giant sequoia trees, which are then packed and shipped to England. He thoroughly enjoys the work, not least because he learned so much about trees from his father, but memories of his unhappy childhood continue to haunt him. Chevalier (The Last Runaway, 2013) excels at creating a highly accessible read that takes a surprisingly dark look at the brutal conditions of frontier life.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The best-selling Chevalier is the author of seven previous novels, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has been translated into 39 languages and made into an Oscar-nominated film.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

Starred review from February 15, 2016

John Chapman (better known as Johnny Appleseed) makes a cameo appearance in Chevalier's new historical (following The Last Runaway), but this is not the Disney version of frontier life. James Goodenough has moved his family to northwest Ohio in the 1830s. He is determined to grow apples, as he did in Connecticut, but circumstances have forced the family to live on the edge of the Black Swamp, a bad place for an orchard. In an intriguing twist, in this fractious family it is James's wife, Sadie, who is a belligerent drunk, addicted to hard cider and applejack. This situation can only end in tragedy, and when it does, youngest son Robert heads West while still a child. The story of his adventures alternates between the hardscrabble years in Ohio and his subsequent wanderings, which lead him to California during the Gold Rush, though he finds work prospecting for seeds instead. His benefactor is an eccentric Englishman who collects redwood seeds and seedlings for the estates of his wealthy British patrons. VERDICT With Chevalier's excellent storytelling ability and gift for creating memorable characters, this novel paints a vivid picture of the hard and rough-hewn life of American pioneers on their Westward journey. [See Prepub Alert, 9/14/15.]--Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015

In this latest pearl from Chevalier, James and Sadie Goodenough settle in 1838 Ohio with their five children and plant seedlings provided by a man named John Appleseed. James loves the apples, put-upon Sadie loves the applejack, and their marriage founders. Fifteen years later, son Robert escapes his shattered family in California's dense redwood forests.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2016

John Chapman (better known as Johnny Appleseed) makes a cameo appearance in Chevalier's new historical (following The Last Runaway), but this is not the Disney version of frontier life. James Goodenough has moved his family to northwest Ohio in the 1830s. He is determined to grow apples, as he did in Connecticut, but circumstances have forced the family to live on the edge of the Black Swamp, a bad place for an orchard. In an intriguing twist, in this fractious family it is James's wife, Sadie, who is a belligerent drunk, addicted to hard cider and applejack. This situation can only end in tragedy, and when it does, youngest son Robert heads West while still a child. The story of his adventures alternates between the hardscrabble years in Ohio and his subsequent wanderings, which lead him to California during the Gold Rush, though he finds work prospecting for seeds instead. His benefactor is an eccentric Englishman who collects redwood seeds and seedlings for the estates of his wealthy British patrons. VERDICT With Chevalier's excellent storytelling ability and gift for creating memorable characters, this novel paints a vivid picture of the hard and rough-hewn life of American pioneers on their Westward journey. [See Prepub Alert, 9/14/15.]--Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.