A review by cdjdhj
At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

5.0

This is a decent historical fiction novel about the Goodenough family who settles in Ohio after leaving Connecticut in the 1830s. The family, with a highly dysfunctional, alcoholic mother and a farmer father who loves growing apple trees and does his best to support and keep his family together. John Chapman (historic Johnny Appleseed) is a character in the first part of the novel and was actually the reason I was attracted to the book. Johnny Appleseed is not the main character however, and the story focuses on the youngest son in the family Robert, and how he strikes out on his own when violence takes the lives of his parents. Robert ends up in California in the 1850s, where he pans for gold for a while and then discovers Giant Sequoias and a beautiful place now known as Big Tree State Park in the Sierra Nevadas. This is a lovely story of nature, love and family that is different from anything I have ever read. The story gracefully meanders through three decades and across the continent as a young man searches for and eventually finds what he did not know he even wanted. I read and own a hard copy version of this book, which I plan to hang onto because it is an excellent book. I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads.