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Loading... The Orchard on Fire (1995)by Shena Mackay
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Little sparkless at the beginning but once I was drawn in I was held. Aching story lines were told in such a gentle, truly childlike way. Quirky and powerful. ( ) Picked up off the bookshelf in our holiday cottage - by Darren actually who thought I might like it based on the fact that he'd read another of Mackay's books years ago. And I did. Found it all a bit flowery at first (mostly due to reading it hot on the heels of Ian McEwan I think) but it paints a vivid picture of a 1950s village childhood. Some aspects of it I found a bit stereotypical but in the end they didn't distract from the overall tale. A novel of country childhood, steeped in the heady scent of of Kentish meadows in spring, with the sharp undertone of rotting grass. It is well written, though the aspects of the plot are oddly inconclusive. Bubbles of interests are raised, and left to go flat. The adulthood of the narrator, which frames the events described, is dealt with too quickly, seeming rushed. I suppose however, that this does leave us free to ruminate on the main material of the novel. The glories of childhood, deliciously described, are juxtaposed with darker realities. The fact that this does little to dim the poignancy of the narrators reminiscence is intriguing and the mark of a tale sophisticated in its simplicity. Its beauty is real, not idealistic fantasy, and thus artfully done. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesVirago Modern Classics (661) Awards
When April Harlency and her parents move from Streatham to The Copper Kettle Tearoom in Kent April's whole life changes. Through her eyes we witness her rite of passage from childhood to adolescence. With her best friend, the wonderfully exciting but dangerous Ruby, they discover an idyllic secret world in the orchard. However, their lives are permeated with a sense of menace which is mainly centred on Mr Greenidge who befriends April and involves her in a sinister and uncomfortable relationship that will eventually lead to trouble for all her family. From the Trade Paperback edition. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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