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"For books are more than books, they are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men lived and worked and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives."
The Orchard on Fire
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The Orchard on Fire
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4 journalers for this copy...
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Thanks very much, Maureen -- The Orchard on Fire has arrived! I'm really looking forward to reading this book, and promise to have it on its way to the next reader within a couple weeks. (Left: a misty sunrise over the Fraser River last week, 2 blocks from my home in New Westminster.)
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Just like MoJeDenUK, I loved this book! Set in the fictional village of Stonebridge, Kent, The Orchard on Fire tells the story of nine year old April Harlency and her best friend, Ruby Richards, as they navigate the surprisingly treacherous ins-and-outs of 1950s English village life. While this novel has a strong plotline, its major strength lies in its successful evocation of childhood -- in this case, in 1950s England, but more universally as well. Author Mackay has a beautiful grasp on the sweet, silly side of childhood -- like April's confusion on hearing about Mrs. Greenidge's "dicky ticker", and her confusion as to how babies are born once she's ready to discard the "stork" hypothesis. At the same time, she doesn't shy away from childhood's shadow side, and I was several times moved to recall (since this book was constantly bringing to mind incidents and feelings from my own childhood) how much of the dark side of the world children come to know -- if only vaguely, or intuitively -- from a surprisingly early age. For example, at nine, poor April must not only fend off the inappropriate advances of Mr. Greenidge, but she has somehow already absorbed the flawed message that she is responsible for his loneliness, hurt feelings and desperation. The Orchard on Fire brings to mind Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye and Ann-Marie MacDonald's As the Crow Flies in its breathtakingly accurate and pull-no-punches depiction of the social -- and interior -- lives of little girls. Additional colour is provided by a memorable cast of "extras", from the ruddy-cheeked working people of Stonebridge (e.g. Mr. Boddy the butcher), to the local Communists (Joe and Molly Silver), to the outlandish Bobs and Dittany, the bohemian (and presumably lesbian) artists who befriend April. Even "Liesel Otter", Mr. Greenidge's dachsund, who through no fault of her own gets entangled in a kind of love/hate relationship with April, is drawn in a way I won't soon forget. You can Salon magazine's review of The Orchard on Fire here, and the Richmond Review's here. (Photo: BBC TV's "Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men", a classic of 1950s childrens' television) |
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I finished The Orchard on Fire this evening, and just finished revising my last journal entry to add a short review. I've PM'd Aceofhearts to request her mailing address, and will pop this book in the mail to her in the few days. Thanks so much, MoJeDenUK, for introducing me to an author I'd never heard of, and a book I absolutely loved!
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