My second recent book with a main character who discovers long lost family members. In Susan Wiggs' The Apple Orchard, Tess Delaney learns that the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that he intends to leave half of his estate to Tess. The other half will go to her half-sister, Isabel. Tess is shocked to learn of her father's family, and journeys to the town of Archangel, CA, with her grandfather's banker, Dominic Rossi. Tess and Isabel begin to build a sisterly relationship while digging into the family history to try and save Bella Vista, the family orchard.
Although Tess is anxious to get back to her real life and job in the city, she begins to develop attachments to her sister, to Dominic and his kids, and even to her comatose grandfather, Magnus. Her journey to her final destination is an interesting one.
The descriptions of Isabel's cooking are mouth-watering. I would love to spend a week at Bella Vista and sample all the tasty dishes, many of which are included along the way as recipes. The question, of course, is whether my mediocre cooking abilities could do them justice. Maybe I'll give one or two of them a shot.
I'm looking forward to The Beekeper's Ball, which continues the story and delves more into Isabel's life. I'm a sucker for a series, and can't wait to move on with Tess, Isabel and their family and friends!
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