The Orchard House by Heidi Chiavaroli

 

Are you a fan of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott? If you are, then you will want to read The Orchard House by Heidi Chiavaroli.

The Orchard House is a split time novel. For part of the book, the reader learns about Taylor and Victoria Bennett. Taylor is adopted by the Bennett family and struggles to fit in. Both girls want to be a writer and attend summer classes at The Orchard House. The girls grow up writing and struggling with teenage issues together. Then when Taylor feels like she is just starting to find her place in the world, she is betrayed by Victoria and everything changes.

The reader also goes back in time to read the story of Johanna Suhre who cares for Louisa May Alcott's aging parents at The Orchard House. While she is with the Alcott family, she meets their neighbor, Nathan Bancroft, and they form a relationship. But is everything what it appears to be with Nathan?

The Orchard House is a well-written novel with seemingly effortlessly going back and forth in time. I struggled a bit at times with the content but not with the flow. There are some triggers if you have been in an abusive relationship, so at times I put the book down. However, I did want to keep reading and seeing how everything worked out. I liked the Bennett family for the most part. I could see why Taylor struggled to feel like she fit in. I could also see why Johanna had some struggles. In a different era, I think it was more difficult for women to leave abusive situations. I did think the way the Bennett family worked through their struggles seemed realistic and inspiring. There are some great discussion questions at the end of The Orchard House. It would be good for book clubs to use as readers wrestle through some of the issues in this book together.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author and publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.