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A review by linneakarchibald
The Orchard by Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry
5.0
4.5 STARS
Loosely based on Aton Chekov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD, the story follows Anya and Milka as they grow up in 1980s Moscow and at Anya's family's dacha (country house) just outside the city. The early chapters are filled with childish joy on the girls' part but tinged with the reality of living in Soviet Russia as Anya's parents discuss their history and living situation. When the girls reach high school, the USSR is on the verge of collapse. Joined by two classmates, Trifonov and Lopatin, the friends grapple with the changing political environment in which they live and their own coming of age. When a sudden tragedy strikes and reveals long-held secrets, the foursome fractures.
Part two of the book jumps forward in time and we find Anya living with her husband in America. When her parents tell her that a company headed by Lopatin is trying to force them into selling the dacha and cutting down its orchard, Anya returns home and confronts the past she buried there.
This book is beautifully written, heartbreakingly sad, and also somehow hopeful. If you enjoy coming-of-age stories filled with complicated relationships, I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook version of this book for review!
Loosely based on Aton Chekov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD, the story follows Anya and Milka as they grow up in 1980s Moscow and at Anya's family's dacha (country house) just outside the city. The early chapters are filled with childish joy on the girls' part but tinged with the reality of living in Soviet Russia as Anya's parents discuss their history and living situation. When the girls reach high school, the USSR is on the verge of collapse. Joined by two classmates, Trifonov and Lopatin, the friends grapple with the changing political environment in which they live and their own coming of age. When a sudden tragedy strikes and reveals long-held secrets, the foursome fractures.
Part two of the book jumps forward in time and we find Anya living with her husband in America. When her parents tell her that a company headed by Lopatin is trying to force them into selling the dacha and cutting down its orchard, Anya returns home and confronts the past she buried there.
This book is beautifully written, heartbreakingly sad, and also somehow hopeful. If you enjoy coming-of-age stories filled with complicated relationships, I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook version of this book for review!