November, 2013: The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

(Book #43) Mary hosted The Orchardist and she must have had to visit an orchard for all the apples she pared and sliced for a wonderful apple crisp. But that was dessert — that comes later. Mary served some great wines, a salad and a pork stew served over noodles.

When we discussed the book we talked about making hard choices and letting those you love make their own. I thought it was beautifully written; the author broke my heart at least three times. I think my favorite aspect was the way there were blanks in some memories — it must happen to all of us. Mostly I kept talking to the book telling the characters to talk to each other, tell somebody! We all had difficulty imagining why anyone would live so far away from neighbors or coffee shops!