[.ca] The Family Orchard: A Novel (ISBN 0375724575)

Sorry, didn't like it a bit:
Like a lot of reviewers, I thought the concept sounded interesting. I usually love this kind of generational epic, but this one, is really tedious. I don't enjoy the writing or the descriptions at all. The idea of her starting many of the chapters with an overview of her family history in her fathers' words, and then her elaborating was kind of cool...at first. But, after a few chapters, it was clear that all it would amount to was her father's family narrative and her descriptions of what the characters did in bed. Blah, Blah, Blah. If I wanted graphic sexual descriptions about people that I don't care what happens to, I'll get porn.

Eve makes you feel like a member of the family:
I really liked this book. Nomi Eve makes you feel like a member of this long extended family. I did not find the book boring at all, in fact, I looked forward to times when I could sit down and read it. I found myself wondering about the characters when I was not reading it. I especially appreciated the way in which Nomi portrayed the part of the family that dealt with a child with a disability. Having a child with a disability myself, I understood the fear, the doubt, and the helplessness. This book is about relationships and family. It is a wonderful read and I would highly recommend it!

Ended up giving it away to Goodwill...:
I wanted to like this book. It sounded fascinating. It could have been great. Instead, it ended up being in increasingly dull romance novel. If I wanted that, I would have gotten something from the grocerystore bookshelf. Instead of a storyline or a sense of the rich history of Palestine, it resorts to graphic sex to keep the readers attention. And not even THAT kept my attention. I actually found myself groaning and saying, "Not again" and trying to flip passed it all. That was all there was to these characters. Copulating in various places that they "shouldn't". I would put the book down and the next night pick it up to read and not even remember what it was about. I finally gave up. That's $$$ I'll never get back...

Boring and poorly written!!!!!:
\o...\c. I finally just skimmed to get through, but it never got better. It goes to prove that anything can get published.

(1.5) Needs pruning...:
The Family Orchard begins with the linking of "what my father says" and "what I say", alternating perspectives as each new member of the family tree is introduced. As well, each succeeding chapter adds diagrams of the growing family. The scene is Palestine in 1837, certainly a fascinating period of historical perspective. So I was disappointed as I read further into the book and lost any sense of connectedness. I was unable to continue: the relatives became more confusing, their chapters too short to retain in memory. When a writer brings history to life, flesh and blood with human failings, it becomes knowable and informative, almost visual. This book did not offer that reality to me.