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andreagraves5's review
4.0
This was a long book! Excellent story, characters and plot. The antagonist is so creepy and awful!!!
sillysarah's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
milkshake_'s review
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Frankie could have literally not existed in this book. I feel like she's there to just point out the differences between the young and old Violet and to not "spill" the story all at once. I feel like Nikola was focused more on Violet's character, which left Frankie kinda dull(except for her having a love interest from the very first moment she steps foot inside the post, like come on maaan. That s so unbeliveable and unlikely)
This book was great regardless :)
This book was great regardless :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Sexual assault
ema_b's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
francica's review
2.0
I love books that take me on a journey to the past. Especially a past that I had little knowledge about and this book did that for me. I really enjoyed this story. I especially loved the switching between the time periods and learning about Violet's past I do not think every author has that ability to do that skillfully enough to make a story interesting so this aspect for me was good. Frankie was a very interesting I think readers will connect with her personality on many levels. This is the type of story that should play out on the screen as a movie or a TV series. Fans of Historical Fiction would be thrilled with the detail of the time period. I am certainly appreciative of the learning that I gained with this story that I now have a renewed interest in learning more about life during the war years.
All in all a great story, A must read.
All in all a great story, A must read.
oliviasbookishworld's review
4.0
This was well written with vivid descriptions and although it was slow to get into, once the revelations started coming I was totally invested.
christina_lundqvist's review
Didn't get in to the story and the writing was average.
jessbookishlife's review
4.0
Dual timeline stories always make me curious. They end up having the perfect mix of historical and contemporary elements, and I'm always interested in seeing how the author connected things.
This story is set during 2004 and 1940, following Frankie in the contemporary time and Violet during WWII. Both characters had amazing personalities and their stories were powerful in different ways. I also liked how it they connected.
I also loved the relationship between Frankie and her grandma, it wasn't an easy one and it had several problems and learning about them, allowed me to understand not just Frankie's past, but also the reasons for her actions. Not having a good relationship with a family member is not completely unexpected, actually for me, it made the story and their interactions much truthful and real.
From someone that has seen grandparents lose the control of their minds and memories, I could connect with Frankie. My grandparents also were a very important part of my childhood, although not for the same motives as with Frankie's life. Using the loss of the control of her mind was quite a good way to connect the dual timeline, and also made the plot curious. I wanted to know more. I was interested in knowing the secrets and the past of the characters, what had happened during the war.
Overall, I love how the story was written. It wasn't confusing and the connecting between the timelines made sense and I couldn't stop reading. I was curious from page one, and I wanted to know all the secrets and motivations. It was an enjoyable story that left me emotional.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Nikola Scott for the eCopy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]
This story is set during 2004 and 1940, following Frankie in the contemporary time and Violet during WWII. Both characters had amazing personalities and their stories were powerful in different ways. I also liked how it they connected.
I also loved the relationship between Frankie and her grandma, it wasn't an easy one and it had several problems and learning about them, allowed me to understand not just Frankie's past, but also the reasons for her actions. Not having a good relationship with a family member is not completely unexpected, actually for me, it made the story and their interactions much truthful and real.
From someone that has seen grandparents lose the control of their minds and memories, I could connect with Frankie. My grandparents also were a very important part of my childhood, although not for the same motives as with Frankie's life. Using the loss of the control of her mind was quite a good way to connect the dual timeline, and also made the plot curious. I wanted to know more. I was interested in knowing the secrets and the past of the characters, what had happened during the war.
Overall, I love how the story was written. It wasn't confusing and the connecting between the timelines made sense and I couldn't stop reading. I was curious from page one, and I wanted to know all the secrets and motivations. It was an enjoyable story that left me emotional.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Nikola Scott for the eCopy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]
mickysbookworm's review
4.0
I love historical fiction and this one did not disappoint.
I’ve read another by this author and really enjoyed it and I have to say this one was just as heavenly to read.
So authentically written. I loved the split between 1940 and 2004. The relationship being strained between Violet and Frankie just added to the tension and strain within the story.
I didn’t know much about the women’s land army - hearing how undervalued there efforts in some parts were made me quite sad. But there strength and support for the country in such tough times only serves to inspire.
What a story and one not to be forgotten.
I’ve read another by this author and really enjoyed it and I have to say this one was just as heavenly to read.
So authentically written. I loved the split between 1940 and 2004. The relationship being strained between Violet and Frankie just added to the tension and strain within the story.
I didn’t know much about the women’s land army - hearing how undervalued there efforts in some parts were made me quite sad. But there strength and support for the country in such tough times only serves to inspire.
What a story and one not to be forgotten.
bookmadjo's review
5.0
Nikola Scott writes wonderfully interwoven dual timeline novels, and this one had me gripped from the first page. The Orchard Girls looks at Frankie and her grandmother Violet in 2004, and looks back to wartime when Violet ran away, changed her name to hide herself from her socialite mother, and became a land girl.
I loved the intrepid nature of Frankie, although wished she didn’t allow herself to be pushed around in her journalistic endeavours, whilst trying to look after Violet, after a decade of estrangement. I felt that the storyline featuring Violet in 2004, when she was clearly experiencing the decline of her memory was written with sensitivity, and was a storyline I could really identify with as I have had family members with dementia.
I loved the storyline set during the war, and felt that it had been researched in depth. The Women’s Land Army ‘land girls’ in general worked very hard, considering the disparaging way many of the locals treated them, and the group of girls in this story were no exception, judged simply because they were land girls. I think this was something I found surprising but then thinking back to every characterisation of land girls on tv that I have seen has shown them in this light, with perhaps looser morals than ‘good girls’.
I loved the way in which the story slowly unfurled to identify what secret was still being hidden in 2004. The descriptions of life in the Land Army were so vivid I felt like I was there with them and it all came to life for me.
There were some dark themes within this story, although they were handled with delicacy. The characters were vibrant and felt very real, which really helped the flow of this compelling story. I particularly loved the character of Marigold. This was such a vibrant story of friendship, and unity in the most extreme of circumstances, and how love and friendship can endure the worst of times, as well as triumphing in the best of times.
I loved the intrepid nature of Frankie, although wished she didn’t allow herself to be pushed around in her journalistic endeavours, whilst trying to look after Violet, after a decade of estrangement. I felt that the storyline featuring Violet in 2004, when she was clearly experiencing the decline of her memory was written with sensitivity, and was a storyline I could really identify with as I have had family members with dementia.
I loved the storyline set during the war, and felt that it had been researched in depth. The Women’s Land Army ‘land girls’ in general worked very hard, considering the disparaging way many of the locals treated them, and the group of girls in this story were no exception, judged simply because they were land girls. I think this was something I found surprising but then thinking back to every characterisation of land girls on tv that I have seen has shown them in this light, with perhaps looser morals than ‘good girls’.
I loved the way in which the story slowly unfurled to identify what secret was still being hidden in 2004. The descriptions of life in the Land Army were so vivid I felt like I was there with them and it all came to life for me.
There were some dark themes within this story, although they were handled with delicacy. The characters were vibrant and felt very real, which really helped the flow of this compelling story. I particularly loved the character of Marigold. This was such a vibrant story of friendship, and unity in the most extreme of circumstances, and how love and friendship can endure the worst of times, as well as triumphing in the best of times.