Author: Anna Romer
ISBN: 978-19-251-8442-6
RRP: $29.99
Beyond the Orchard is the third suspenseful offering from Australian Anna Romer, I have read all three and loved them all.
A tale of dark family secrets, buried for decades, and told in multiple time periods this is one that I found very difficult to put down. There are two distinct times, past and present, but we have a couple of different periods within those two times.
Lucy Briar left home years ago and moved to London, running from an awkward situation with an unrequited love. In London she met her fiance and they have mapped out a life together, until Lucy receives a letter from her estranged grandfather asking her to come see him. Eventually she returns home, on her own, hoping to resolve her feelings and find the answers she seeks to childhood questions.
Elements of the story have a very fairy tale type quality, and there are fairy tale references, so the choice of Briar for the family name really struck a chord in that vein for me.
Soon after her arrival home Lucy’s father suffers a fall that sees him hospitalised and her grandfather passes away. She is left reeling and wondering if she will ever get her answers. At her father’s insistence Lucy heads to the historic family guesthouse, Bitterwood Estate, to clear out her grandfathers things before the Estate is sold – and to find the photo album that created the rift between father and son.
Lucy has some traumatic memories of Bitterwood Estate and dreads returning but she knows that to find the answers she seeks she has to go. She’s not sure how she’ll get her answers now that her grandfather isn’t there to hand over whatever it was he had that would explain everything.
The quest for answers, and the album, seems overwhelming when for every inch of progress there seems to be a bigger setback. Much of the album has been reduced to ashes, and Lucy can’t find anything addressed to her from her grandfather that may hold the answers. The further she gets packing up the house the more information the house releases. The blurb says that the house begins to give up its ghosts, and it certainly does, but these are metaphorical ghosts not paranoramal ones.
Lucy was followed to Bitterwood Estate by Morgan, the man she was running from, who has come to help her get the house in order. His proximity isn’t helping her cold feet, though he certainly helps her make progress in the quest for answers.
Lucy’s father Ron is a writer, he takes fairy tales and twists them, making the villians the heroes and telling the story from a different perspective. He and Lucy are a team, she illustrates for him. There is a little bit of life experience in Ron’s retellings and none more so than the manuscript he’s just finished, that Lucy starts illustrating while she’s at Bitterwood Estate. Ron’s writing is part of his coping mechanism, he writes to work through the things in life he’s struggling with.
Beyond The Orchard is haunting and suspenseful, and it leaves you guessing. There were many times throughout that I was sure I knew what was going on, only to discover how wrong I was.
A tale of love, loss, betrayal, desire and family secrets this is not to be missed.
Lucy was a beautiful character, haunted by ghosts of her own, and always running away from something. Throughout the story we see her starting to face some of her demons so that she can move forward and stop running.
Yet again Romer has written with great depth and sincerity, a touching novel that brought me to the brink of tears on a number of occasions and one which I hope to read again one day just to see what else I pick up on that I may have missed on the first read.
Beyond the Orchard is book #57 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2016.
Available now from Simon & Schuster, Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
You can find Anna at her Website as well as on Facebook.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster 30 of our lucky Beauty and Lace Club member will be reading Beyond the Orchard so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Wow!! What a great read. A family saga on a grand scale. Spanning the early 1900’s to the 1990’s.
Lucy Briar happily living in London with her fiancé Adam is called home to Australia after a 5 year absence.
Her father Ron is estranged from his father; Lucy’s grandfather Edwin, who owns Bitterwood Estate a family guesthouse on the wild Victorian coastline.
Lucy has demons of her own to deal with but when her grandfather dies and her father asks her to go to Bitterwood and retrieve a precious photo album she seeks to address those ghosts from her past . This begins a search for not only those people in the photo album but Lucy’s quest to find herself and face her demons.
The past is brought to the present and so many lives are forever changed by the events that have taken place at Bitterwood over the past 60 years.
Interspersed through the book is a wonderful recreated fairytale that Ron writes. The recreated tales are Ron’s therapy for his traumatic life and they mirror life events.
The tragic events of the past, the heartbreak and fragile nature of love that are built on secrets and betrayals make this book an emotional roller coaster but one I couldn’t put down. Beautifully written!
Thank @beautyandlace for the opportunity to read and review.
Beyond the Orchard is a fantastic read, I really like Anna Romer’s writing. This book is as good as her previous novel Lyrebird Hill.
It is really a mystery, however it contains a series of revelations rather than one plot twist, and i liked that better ,seemingly more real. Beyond the Orchard offers up a believable story of tangled relationships over generations, a glimpse in time of at least three time periods, which Anna Romer manages to weave together effortlessly.
Overall I enjoyed this novel it was a heart wrenching story of loss, love, and redemption. It is beautifully written. Thank you for giving the opportunity to be part of the review team and I highly recommend it !
Whether you’re a fan of mystery, romance or thrillers, Beyond the Orchard is a wonderful read. It is completely engrossing and beautifully written and lures you in from the very beginning.
The main character Lucy Briar is determined to uncover the secrets in her family’s past that continue to haunt both her and her father’s lives. A past he seems to hint at in his popular reimagined fairy tales!
The story cleverly moves between Lucy’s present day- with her bittersweet childhood memories and perceptions, and the past life, tragedies and betrayals of Lucy’s now deceased grandparents when they lived at the once grand Bitterwood Estate, with its abandoned orchard and mysterious, underground ice house.
As Lucy sorts through her grandparents belongings she discovers old photographs and letters which at first uncover more questions than answers. However as the story unfolds Lucy not only discovers more about herself, she also reveals a sad and tragically twisted family history that has remained hidden up to this point.
I really enjoyed this book and it’s setting on Victoria’s coastline is beautifully evocative – a perfect backdrop for this haunting and intriguing tale!
Thankyou Beautyandlace for the opportunity to read (and enjoy) ‘Beyond the Orchard’ by Anna Romer. It kept me enthralled from the first page till the last. I just had to keep reading!
Lucy, 26, has been in London for 5 years (escaping a sad love affair) before returning on holiday from London. Now engaged to Adam from London who she is to marry soon, now her wedding invitation reply from her grandfather Edwin has prompted her return. He has indicated he has some relevant information he wants to personally give to her. Intrigued, she now intends to persue this, only on her return to have her grandfather die before she can meet up with him. Her father Ron seems very secretive about his past and estrangement from his father. He ends up in hospital and Lucy is left to search and go through Edwin’s possessions at Bitterwood the family property. She discovers things are not as her father thought regarding his mother.
We read of a shipwreck and a 13 year old girl being the only survivor becoming a welcome addition to Edwin and Clarice’s (his wife) family and also two aboriginal children befriending Orah.
The book is in sections of years, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1977 and 1993 following the various characters through the years. I didn’t mind this at all as it only made the book more intersting.
Lucy’s father Ron wrote twisted fairy tales and she illustrated them, I found them lovely.
Bitterwood was a wonderful property, lots of fruit trees, silkworms from the mulberries grown, an icehouse, and close to the sea.
Lucy’s close family friend features prominently in the book as does an adorable white cat.
I really, really enjoyed this book, it was full of mystery, twists and turns, unpredictable, and so very well written.
I can’t praise Anna Romer enough, and her name of authors I must read will be top of my books to realist.
Few stories rarely draw you in from the first page but Anna Romer’s ‘Beyond The Orchard’ achieves this. Instantly the reader is aware that a sinister act has occurred, one of passion perhaps; the abandoning of a dead body in the bowels of an old underground icehouse.
And so the story proceeds. We are introduced to three generations of one family beginning with Edwin. Always the less noticed, less loved younger brother of Ron, the story introduces both boys in battle during WW1. Edwin secretly in love with his brother’s girlfriend, Clarice, Edwin is confronted by a returning soldier in the front line. He shoots and kills his own brother Ron, and the reader is left wondering if it was a case of tragic friendly fire or indeed opportunistic due to jealousy. Another plot surfaces.
The story is told from the perspective of his granddaughter Lucy. Returning from London after 5 years when Lucy receives a letter of plea from her elderly grandfather, Edwin. Upon her arrival she discovers her grandfather has died and she is now charged with sorting through her grandfather’s belonging, at the request of her father Ron who has been estranged from Edwin since he was 15 years old. From an early age Lucy has known about unspoken secrets in her family and she is determined to seek the answers.
As you read through each chapter a new mystery is revealed. None of the characters are void of their own emotional turmoil. Ron reveals he grew up with an emotionally absent father in Edwin. The mother he has always known as Dulcie, reveals on her death bed that she is in fact his stepmother. Ron then learns about the existence of his birth mother, Clarice, who deserted the family when he was a baby; a resentment Ron has held since the age of 15. Ron marries happily and then his life spirals into despair when his wife drowns. Ron turns to alcohol and his 10 year old daughter Lucy is left to live with her estranged grandfather Edwin for months whilst Ron is institutionalised. Here Lucy discovers a forbidden secret, the remains of a body in the icehouse on the family property. More intrigue.
Lucy buries this thought into the recesses of her mind and continues to further deal with her own demons in her life. She is secretly in love with a family friend, Morgan, who is 17 years her senior. Finally revealing her feelings for Morgan, she is shunned by him and escapes to London to begin a new life.
This book jumps from one chapter retelling the 1930s storyline with Edwin to a new chapter in 1993 during Lucy’s life. This method of storytelling has the potential to complicate the reader but Anna Romer manages this brilliantly.
Anna Romer leads you to certain assumptions as to who the mystery body is lying deep in the icehouse. And what greater triumph is there in a book to discover you were completely wrong. The eternal mysteries finally unravel at the end of the book and with a sigh you realise the triumph of success that this author has created.
I absolutely loved this book. It’s full of emotion, intrigue, personal anguish, misunderstanding and mostly intense love. Don’t worry about the housework, just keep reading, you won’t want to put it down.
OHHHH What a glorious book. Thank you so very much, Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this wonderful Australian novel that is right up there with my all time favourite books. From the beautifully visual cover to the last word, I just loved it.
I am always thrilled when young Australian authors delight me the way Anna Romer does. I loved Lyrebird Hill and Beyond the Orchard is as brilliant as it gets. Rarely do I feel that there are no flaws in a book – this doesn’t always spoil the book – but with Beyond the Orchard there is not one flaw. The time lines spanning decades, the reorganised fairy tales Lucy’s father, Ron writes that Lucy illustrates, the sympathetic characterisation and the way the story flows is perfect.
Retelling in any way is unnecessary because no one reviews books better than Michelle and it would be unfair to let anything slip that would spoil the beautiful way everything is woven together. So often with time span and several characters something goes missing – definitely not with Beyond the Orchard. It is, without any doubt, one of the most satisfying books I’ve read and it never delves into the ordinary but it is always completely believable.
Definitely as wonderful as a book can be, in my opinion and I now can’t wait to read Anna’s other book, Thornwood House.
Beyond the Orchard is an absolutely wonderful read . A great family saga spanning generations of the one family,
Staring with brothers Edwin and Ron in the WW1 era where the intrigue and mystery begins .
Told from the perspective of his granddaughter Lucy , there are time jumps which within some books can be somewhat confusing, but not in this case .It actually all weaves in perfectly .
There is so much mystery and intrigue through every generation of the family that it could have very well become confusing , but I found Beyond The Orchard to be a fascinating read.
It would make a lovely gift for a loved one who loves to read or as a Christmas gift to yourself.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read and review this fantastic novel .
“Beyond the Orchard” is the second book I’ve read by Anna Romer, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lucy Briar has returned home to Australia in response to a mysterious letter from her Grandfather. Her family has long been riven by secrets, and a letter from him suggests that he may be able to resolve at least some of them. Coming home adds extra complications; although Lucy is engaged, she has her doubts about her planned marriage, and confronting relationships from the past that were left open ended doesn’t help.
This story is interspersed with the story of Lucy’s grandfather and his household in the 1930’s; it quickly becomes clear that this will have a significant bearing on how things resolve in 1993. How is not so clear.
Romer keeps the reader in suspense, and carefully unspools her story of family secrets, how they started, why they were kept, and some of their ramifications. As the final revelations emerge in the last chapters, there is a sense of completeness and that it was all foreshadowed, but not many readers will have worked out every last detail.
This is a well written story, carefully plotted and written with an absorbing style and a pace that keeps you engaged. The characters are generally convincing, and it’s saddening to read about people who deserve good things when you know something bad is looming for them. Still, this is ultimately a positive book with a hopeful eye on the future.
I did have some minor problems with character behaviour. Lucy doesn’t go off to see her Grandfather with any haste; she lingers in Melbourne for no very specific reason. There is one secret which has festered for years, the effect of which could have at least been alleviated had someone shared one very simple piece of information (I’m trying to avoid spoilers here), and no good reason is ever given for why they don’t. When Lucy’s grandfather dies, their next of kin is advised by letter weeks later – in 1993. Surely the police would have made a phone call? These things seem to occur just to keep the secrets going for a bit longer, not for any reason connected with character or common sense.
Interestingly, despite all the secrets and apparent bad behaviour, pretty much all of the characters are sympathetic to some extent. It takes a while for that to emerge with some characters, but by and large this is a story of flawed people doing the best they can.
If I have a significant criticism of this novel, it’s that the sense of time and place was not very strong. It felt a little unmoored; I had no strong sense of a particular era or a particular place. I’m not sure if this was deliberate or not, but it was a little disappointing in a novel that switched between eras. This doesn’t affect the readability of the novel or the effect of the carefully crafted plot.
Overall I really enjoyed this, as will most readers who like a complex plot combined with a very readable style.
Beyond The Orchard written by Anna Romer is a beautiful written book.
It will have readers intrigued from the 1st chapter till the last chapter.
This book has romance, suspense, lies, sadness and happiness.
The first chapter begins in 1931 nearly all the chapters of this book are different years but the book flows so well between the years
Lucy Brair is the main character in this book she has returned from London to see her grandfather,
Lucy is determined to find out about her family’s past history
This book is extremely interesting and I found it very hard to put down as I wanted to know what mystery/secrets were going to be revealed in the next chapters
Thank you for choosing me to read this book
I would highly recommend
I will also be reading Anna’s other books
Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer is a beautifully written book to read and like her previous novel, Lyrebird Hill, it effortlessly travels back and forth through different timelines.
Lucy Briar has hidden troubles in her background – a deep dark secret from her childhood that she has not shared with anyone. She does not know if they are memories or just bad recurring nightmares. Running away from an embarrassing situation to the other side of the world, she meets and is engaged to Adam.
Lucy receives a letter from her Grandfather and writes that he will explain ‘all’. She leaves Adam in London and returns home to Australia to find answers.
This is the beginning of a discovery of long buried secrets that will rip apart her family.
There is tragedy, love, betrayal and loyalty all interwoven around Lucy’s Grandfathers old Guest House called Bitterwood state.
The house slowly releases it’s secrets that have stayed hidden for over 70 years.
The more Lucy searches the crumbling guesthouse with all its clutter, the more she uncovers and is slowly piecing together the events that lead up to the present day.
Beyond the Orchard has many twists and turns and when you think you know what is happening, another little crossroads is uncovered leading up to such an unexpected conclusion it will leave you stunned.
Thank you so much to Beauty and Lace Book Club and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this stunning book that I highly recommend will definitely re-read.