Peg and Abel have just started working this year’s cherry season. The harvesting, sorting, washing, and packing is hard work and doesn’t leave much time for other activities. So when Peg’s niece Hope shows up on her doorstep with a daughter in tow, it has the potential to ruin everything. With the added complexity that Hope doesn’t remember ever meeting Peg and she’s on the run from an abusive boyfriend, Peg isn’t really sure she wants the girls to stay long. When the girls offer to help with cherry season and Abel takes a shine to them, Peg soon starts to warm to the idea of a long-term arrangement. But it isn’t long before The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season this year is known to all of them.
Molly Fader delivers a poignant tale of redemption and love in The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season. This novel beautifully shows the damage family secrets can do, but also the power of love. The way Abel accepts and loves these girls from the start is heartwarming. The way Abel loves Peg and cares for her when he doesn’t have to is the part that made me fall for his character. I also appreciate the way Fader has written the conflict, pain, and love between Hope and Peg through the story from start to finish.
I give The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season 4 out of 5 stars. The love story between Abel and Hope verges on predictable and could easily be one of those made for TV movie storylines. I also found a few of the details around the invasion at the Orchard House less than realistic. However, the detail given to the cherry season activities and other aspects of this novel brought it to life for me.
This novel discusses domestic violence and physical aggression throughout the story. The writer has also included descriptions of weaponry and drug use/rehabilitation. Given those topics, I would recommend this novel for audiences over 16.
The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season was an additional book outside of the reading prompts and challenges this month. I have several “add on” books this month – reading has been quite easy and fast compared to previous months. This audiobook has been in my Audible library for several months and I was excited to finally get a chance to listen to it! With the start of the planting season in most of the US, I felt like this was a great time to read this one!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Everything I learned, I learned in a Chinese Restaurant, Curtis Chin
- Current audio book: *taking a break*
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune
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