The Orchardist is an incredible debut novel by Amanda Coplin. Set at the turn of the twentieth century in the Pacific Northwest, a peaceful and solitary man named Talmadge makes his living as an orchardist, caring for his apricot and apple trees and selling the fruit himself in town. When two runaway, pregnant teenage girls show up on his land stealing his fruit out of starvation and desperation, his world is forever changed.

Coplin is an amazing writer, getting to the heart of emotions and feelings that seem hidden, things that lie just below the surface. Her writing style is deceptively simple, leaving readers to discover the truth for themselves. Despite great cruetly in the story, there is a quietness to the novel, both expressed through the landscape and the demeanor of the characters.

It is a deeply sorrowful yet beautiful tale, about the search for redemption, place, family, and meaning in life. A haunting novel, that will stay with me for some time.