The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a compelling book in so many ways, and it also left me hanging in so many ways. Talmadge was such a likeable guy, if he had just had a backbone and would have talked to all the women that we had in his life and then lost, his sister, Jane and then Della. Anyway, after making to the Washington mountains with Talmadge's mom and sister after his dad died in mining accident and starting the orchard, the mom dies of lung disease and then years later the sister goes for a walk and never comes home. Then when Talmadge is 40 years old Jane and Della show up pregnant, after escaping from Michelson's brothel. They are as wild as feral cats and barely ever come inside. Jane's child lives and Della's twins die in child birth. Then Michelson shows up at the orchard, both girls hang themselves from a tree, Della lives, along with Jane's child, Angelene. Della becomes a wild thing and leaves the orchard, years later he admits to a murder that she did not do, to be thrown in jail because she sees Michelson in jail. Talmadge discovers her and starts to visit, after a failed attempt to get Della out of jail, Talmadge and Della are thrown in jail. Talmadge gets out, but not Della. Della dies in a construction accident in jail, Talmadge dies an old man, Angelene sells the orchard. Talmadge left so much unsaid and unasked with all these women ......

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