A combination of past and present, love story, family secrets and drama. Great listen. ( )

Beyond the Orchard is a sweeping saga of dark secrets, shameful lies, forgotten letters, undying love and devastating despair. Romer’s writing is rich and lyrical, her characters compelling.

I love stories told in dual timelines each linking up as the mysteries unfold. Romer’s execution is perfect; never giving away too little or too much, holding the reader captive until the very end.
The subtle introduction of the aboriginal teens was well implemented and Orah’s love for Warra felt real and not over exaggerated.

I never really warmed to the character of Lucy. She seemed bent on her own purpose never really considering other people’s feelings. Her relationship with Morgan was alien to me (not only the 16 year age gap but Morgan being a friend of Lucy’s father and knowing her since she was a young child) so I found it hard to want more from them, although I liked their closeness.

Edwin was intense and complex; everything he did was with great passion. You either loved him or hated him. I don’t think there was any middle ground.

The story within the story, a fairytale reworking with a foreboding atmosphere, pulled me in just as much as the main story.

If you enjoy family sagas with deep secrets that span time and generations you will not want to miss “Beyond the Orchard”.

I received my copy from Simon and Schuster via Netgalley. ( )

Beyond the Orchard is an historical novel with dual time frames, a crumbling estate called Bitterwood (great name right?) and family secrets of love, grief and guilt to discover.

Distinctly Australian, I loved the early references to places in Melbourne I instantly recognised, including: Dandenong Road, Elsternwick, Prahran, Geelong and the Great Ocean Road. It certainly gave me a buzz to see Lucy visit these familiar places.

However what hampered my enjoyment further was the sheer number of character points of view combined with the multiple different time frames. Looking back, I counted at least four time periods (1917/1918, 1929/1930, 1977 and 1993) at least five different character perspectives and the manuscript of a fairytale entwined with the story. This was just too much for me.

With all of this going on, the fairytale didn't work for me, the romance didn't interest me and I found it hard to accept the ending. (Peace? I don't think so! Not a spoiler, but hopefully those on the blog tour who have read it will know what I'm referring to here.)

The strongest part of the novel by far was the story of Orah, and I would have preferred to read her story over that of Lucy unravelling her family history at Bitterwood any day. Orah was a fascinating character who really came alive on the page. Her rescue had me gasping in suspense and I found her story moving and definitely memorable.

I haven't read Thornwood House, so I can't compare it to this, but Beyond the Orchard will appeal to readers of Australian fiction and fans of Kate Morton.

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster * ( )

I am an absolute sucker for novels that combine the past and present – even better if there’s a crumbling old house, a multigenerational family mystery and some skeletons in the closet. Anna Romer’s new novel, Beyond the Orchard ticks all of those boxes for me. After a slow start, I was rewarded for my perseverance with a rollicking mystery.

The book opens in Melbourne in the early 1990s. Lucy has returned home to think some things through. She’s engaged to a great man and her work life as an illustrator for her father’s books is going really well. But something seems to be missing and an evasive letter from her grandfather means it’s time to come home. There are quite a few demons from the past for Lucy to contend with at home – the death of her mother, awkward relationship with her father and the lost love of Morgan, who happens to be her dad’s friend and father to the boy who had a teenage crush on Lucy. (Who is now in a relationship with Lucy’s best friend Nina – yes, it’s tangled).

Lucy’s grandfather dies before she can ask him more about the mysterious letter. After her own father is taken ill, he asks Lucy to go to the family property, Bitterwood, to retrieve a photo album that holds memories for him. Lucy reluctantly goes, but it’s her own mystery that she’s particularly interested in. It’s not going to be an easy one to unravel and it will take assistance from Morgan and others. Will Lucy find her own peace by discovering the truth of her family’s history?

I did enjoy Beyond the Orchard, but it took me some time to get into. Initially I felt rather swamped by the relationships between Lucy, her father and Wilma, his new partner. Then adding in the awkward reunion with Morgan and the complex, teenage love backstory…it was almost a relief to get into the past with Lucy’s grandfather Edwin. I enjoyed that aspect of the plot – the history was beautifully brought to light and the character of Orah, shipwreck survivor, was delightful. Her friendship with Wirra and Nala as she blossomed with Edwin and Clarice was one of the highlights of the book for me. Reading about their fates made me quite emotional – it was truly heartbreaking.

I enjoyed jumping backwards and forwards in time with the story. It was easy to keep track of what was going on in the past but I felt the complexity of Lucy’s relationships detracted somewhat from her story. Yes, she’s mixed up and got a lot of things to think through but having all her relationships in disrepair was a bit much for me. Sometimes it seemed like the only positive relationship she had was with her cat! I didn’t feel that I could always rely on her as a reliable narrator. Having the excerpts from her father’s book was an interesting concept as he tried to decipher his relationship with Edwin. There were also parallels with what was happening to Orah and Clarice at the time, plus the symbolism of the silkworms.

Beyond the Orchard is an ambitious book that tries to cover a lot and is for the most part, successful. I felt at times, especially in relation to Lucy, a bit overwhelmed with the complexities of the relationships between the characters. It is an easy read, and once you begin to find out more about Bitterwood, you’ll be engrossed.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. My review is honest.

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