Hope Wright is running for her life. After an abusive fight with her boyfriend Daniel, she had a black eye, a cut lip, and was terrified he would find her and continue his beating. Traveling with her is Tink, (short for Tinkerbell), her 10-year-old daughter, who witnessed the abuse and stopped talking to her mother. Exhausted, Hope is desperate. Low on money, with no friends to help them, her only choice is to head to the Orchard House Farm in Northern Michigan, where her deceased mother spent her childhood. Owned by her Aunt Peg, her mom's sister (who she has never met), will surely help them. Won't she?
As Hope approaches the farm, a barking dog and a woman holding a shotgun appear at the front door. Gruffly questioning Hope, Aunt Peg invites them into her house when she is introduced to her sister's daughter. Noticing Hope's bruises and the sheer exhaustion of both visitors, she shows them to a bedroom to get some rest. The next day a deal is struck for the girls to stay at the farm, getting paid for helping with the cherry harvest.
This is the story of three generations of Wright women: Peg, Hope, and Tink. Deep-rooted secrets emerge as they fight for forgiveness, family, and their futures. Endearing, THE BITTER AND SWEET OF CHERRY SEASON touched my heart, especially the sweet romance between Abel, the co-partner of the farm, and Hope. Abel is an ex-soldier who found his soul mate in Hope and slowly but surely crept into her devastated heart. He never pushed her but gave her love, patience, support, and always those smiles that stunned her. I adored Abel!
Female relationships flourished in many heartwarming moments as the pains of the past were brought forward then buried. In learning to forgive themselves for past mistakes, their futures looked bright. It is a journey filled with twists and turns in a setting that was special, filled with loving folks who were there to help get rid of all bad baggage. I enjoyed learning about cherry harvesting and felt like I was out in the fields sneaking a few cherries, too.
Molly Fader knows how to tell a story filled with characters you would love to meet. At the top of that list would be Nathan, the hero dog. What a superhero he is! THE BITTER AND SWEET OF CHERRY SEASON is a delightful read that I loved and so will you. There are several happy endings to enjoy with these wonderful characters. I never put it down for long--once I started this charmer, I did not want it to end. Great job, Ms. Fader. You have a fan!
“A stunning story about family and hope that unfolds unexpectedly but beautifully, like a Michigan summer sunset over an orchard.” —Viola Shipman, bestselling author of The Heirloom Garden and The Summer CottageIn cherry season, anything is possible…Everything Hope knows about the Orchard House is from the stories of her late mother. So when she arrives at the northern Michigan family estate late one night with a terrible secret and her ten-year-old daughter in tow, she’s not sure if she’ll be welcomed or turned away with a shotgun by the aunt she has never met.Hope’s aunt, Peg, has lived in the Orchard House all her life, though the property has seen better days. She agrees to take Hope in if, in exchange, Hope helps with the cherry harvest—not exactly Hope’s specialty, but she’s out of options. As Hope works the orchard alongside her aunt, daughter and a kind man she finds increasingly difficult to ignore, a new life begins to blossom. But the mistakes of the past are never far behind, and soon the women will find themselves fighting harder than ever for their family roots and for each other.
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