Theresa Weir - The Orchard: A Memoir

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Copyright 2011 by Theresa Weir

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

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ISBN 978-1-4555-0556-2

THE ORCHARD is a lovely book in all the ways that really matter, one of those rare and wonderful memoirs in which people youve never met become your friends. I read it in a single sitting, lost in the story, and by the time I put it down, I was amazed by Weirs ability to evoke such genuine emotion. Read it: youll be glad you did.

Nicholas Sparks

Affecting [Weir] narrates a truly disquieting tale of familial dislocation and rupture.

Publishers Weekly

A hypnotic tale of place, people, and of Midwestern family roots that run deep, stubbornly hidden, and equally menacingTHE ORCHARD is sublime and enchanting, like a reflecting pool. Touch the surface and watch the ripples carry you away.

Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Weir knows how to move a story along, and her memoir is a page-turner [She] has created a compelling portrait of large-scale inorganic, chemical-based agriculture and the people caught in its maw.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Disquieting equal parts moving love story and environmental warning.

Entertainment Weekly

Captivating Weirs [story] is as harrowing as they come, yet filled with an uncanny self-awareness that leads, ultimately, to redemption.

Booklist

What do those perfectly round, shiny red apples really cost? This poignant memoir of love, labor, and dangerous pesticides reveals the terrible true price.

O, the Oprah Magazine

Frank and disturbing a riveting memoir.

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Weir ably captures the stasis of rural life and the pain of difference with acuity The strongest feature of the book is the determined loyalty that allows Weir to discover beauty amid strife, as well as the touching conclusion.

Kirkus Reviews

If a writing instructor wanted an excellent example of voice in a piece of writing, this would be a five-star choice! Weir has you feeling her confusion, doubts, pain and growing understanding of life on a farm my love of a cold, crisp apple may never be the same What an example she has livedis livingfor her children and all who read her story.

San Diego Union Tribune

Eerie and atmospheric, this is an indie movie in print. Youll read and read to see where it is going, although its clear early on that the future is not going to be kind to anyone involved. Weirs story is more proof that only love can break your heart.

Library Journal

A poignant and merciless memoir that portrays a pivotal moment in American farming Her prose is efficient and, in very few words, evokes feelings that linger long after the book is finished.

Roanoke Times (VA)

This memoir is viscera encapsulated, of young, passionate love and shattering tragedy around the corner, of a horrible childhood redeemed by motherhood and literary output in secret, of not fitting in until you make everything fit you One of the favorite books of the year.

Publishers Lunch

Few books have made the case for shopping organic as eloquently Her story is a thought-provoking argument against the pesticides used to grow food, but more than that, its the story of the growth of an unlikely union [She] leaves readers marveling at the complexities of love.

Wisconsin State Journal

A finely wrought story In such unforgiving soil, Weirs growth over the years is remarkable. She raises two children, nurtures her marriage and comes into her own as a writer. Her journey, at times lonely and sad, is ultimately triumphant. Readers will be glad Weir found a home for this brave book.

BookPage

A luminous, tender memoir.

StoryCircleBookReviews.org

Stunning One of the juiciest memoirs of the season THE ORCHARD leaves readers with an unforgettable love story, a picturesque canvas of rural farming, a petition for a cleaner environment, and a longing for the taste of a colorful, crisp apple.

Examiner.com

She succeeds powerfully in conveying the urgency of re-thinking large scale food production.

BookReporter.com

A page-turner of a memoir [it] shook me up.

AWaytoGarden.com

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For my children

A variety of apple called Sweet Melinda did not exist. The Sweet Melindas story in this book symbolizes the old and original orchard, hand planted by my husbands great-grandfather over a hundred years ago and eventually destroyed by the codling moth. All of the scenes featuring the Sweet Melindas were drawn from the real-life drama and struggle to save the old orchard, which wasnt as disease- and insect-resistant as the young orchard with its newer dwarf trees.

Names in The Orchard have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals, and Connie and Boyd are composites. In some places, the sequences of events have been changed, events combined, and timelines condensed for the sake of story flow. The standard farming practices described in this book took place over fifteen years ago, and the author has no knowledge of practices since that time.