| Genre: | Amish |
| Pub. Date: | 6 Sep 2022 |
| Pages: | 352 |
| Publisher: | Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers |
| Cover: | Very nice. Conveys Amish. |
| Rating: | 4 stars |
The story revolves around the “conscientious objector” status during the Vietnam War era. Not all draft-age Amish men seek it.
The Hostetler family orchard has existed for generations & Ellie loves everything about it. She & the rest of the family are shocked to find her twin brother did *not* request the conscientious objector status and his draft number is low.
Evan goes to war.
My review …
Other subplots are a romance for Ellie, the orchard’s future especially if Evan does not return, the Amish communities reaction to Evan going into the military, their treatment of the family, and the frightening threats of some Englischers for all Amish calling them draft dodgers.
The Orchard has a wealth of subplots but the story delves into an Amish family living through the experience of a son/brother fighting in a war, something the Amish do not believe in. One blessing the Hostetlers had, which was not mentioned, was “no news” since they do not have television or radios.
Books can bring back memories. You see, the Vietnam War wasn’t just an “era” to this reviewer. My husband flew literally thousands of hours in this war. He was stationed at Clark AFB, PI. Twenty-one days in Vietnam, three or four days ‘home’ — over and over. I was a new bride fresh out of graduate school. I volunteered as a Red Cross worker at the base hospital. I might cry once home but never in front of the guys. Men weren’t always sent home; some were so seriously injured they couldn’t be flown back to the States. Those were “my guys”.
Evan had not been baptized so his family did support him with letters. Remember this was long before cell phones. Every phone call cost the military personnel money — there was no setup for calling home.
The Orchard has a lot going on it it. Life doesn’t stop even when a loved one is serving in an active war. The orchard was the family’s principal livelihood, but who would take over if Evan went Englishe? An unmarried or married woman (if Ellie married) was not expected to “run a business”. Yet Ellie knew more about the orchard except for her Dat or Dawdi.
So why doesn’t The Orchard get 5 stars?
Two words … THE BEGINNING … that went on and on and on. Until I was 25% into the book, I flat wasn’t interested. The author took forever to set the scene and introduce the characters. Fortunately, at that point, the book “took off”. Sometimes editor(s) and writing “assistants” get so familiar with the trees in the forest, that they forget that the reader doesn’t want to deal with a long, tangled forest to get to the story. I’ve never been an editor but I have been a Beta reader. My approach in that role is to read like a “typical” reader. If I have to stop and look at past pages, that is reported. If I am bored and can’t “buy into” a setting or scene, that is reported. And someone should have taken a RED pencil to the first 25% of The Orchard.
If the rest of the story had not been so good, the reduction would have been more than just one star. I still recommend the book but just remember, you’ll do some wading before you get to the “rest of the story”.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of “The Orchard” via NetGalley from the publisher, Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 4 stars
#TheOrchard #NetGalley #BeverlyLewis
