THE ORCHARD HOUSE by HEIDI CHIAVAROLI

Publication date 9/2/21
THE ORCHARD HOUSE by HEIDI CHIAVAROLI is a novel you do not want to miss, especially if you are like me and count "Little Women" as one of your favourite books! It is so cleverly written, with unforgettable characters and a profound message and with the past and present overlapping in such an amazing way.
We first come across Taylor in 1995 when, at the age of thirteen, she is fostered and then adopted by the Bennetts who are her best friend Victoria's parents. Although she is treated as part of the family, Taylor is afraid to hope for too much due to her sad childhood and sees herself as being "on the outside looking in".
The girls are both ardent fans of Louisa May Alcott and spend a lot of time at Orchard House, which was her family's home, where they attend the Jo March Writing Camp. Both girls are aspiring authors and I love the way they even have their own Pickwick Club.
Running parallel to Taylor and Victoria's story is that of Louisa and her friend Johanna Suhre. Johanna kept house for Louisa's parents while the author spent a year in Europe. This is another case where a young woman is longing to be independent, but also to belong.
We see the similarity between Taylor and Louisa with their attempts to help Victoria and Johanna respectively. We also see how researching Louisa and Johanna's story draws Taylor and Victoria together.
I like the way we are told so much about Louisa, her family and her writing. The author has obviously done a great deal of research into her life.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you, excepting to say that, in spite of the difficulty of family dynamics, feelings of jealousy and inadequacy, betrayal and abusive relationships, there is a strong Christian message of hope running through the book.
I cannot recommend "The Orchard House" highly enough to anyone who enjoys inspirational historical romantic fiction.
I was given an ARC copy of the book by Tyndale House Publishers from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.



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