An Ode for Orchids

by James Fant

Meet Dawn, Brook, Cicely and Karen: four cousins raised under the Southern sun. Their grandmother called them orchids and taught them to be independent, intelligent, chaste and courageous. So why does Dawn depend on a drug dealer? Why can't Brook see that her husband is cheating on her? Why is Cicely so promiscuous? Why is Karen so afraid of rejection? But most importantly, why does Cicely hate Karen enough to want her DEAD?

"An Ode for Orchids" is the story of four beautiful young women who want to love and be loved. But will their love outlive the lies and abuse? Is their love strong enough to survive the hatred?

270 pages, ebook

First published August 29, 2012

Reviews

[OOSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost and Found

Geneva Cole is a grandmother who has a love for orchids. She takes care of her granddaughter, Karen. Karen's mother died from an overdose. Every summer her cousins, Cicely, Brook and Dawn, come. Ma Geneva loves her granddaughters more so than her orchids and enjoys the summers they all spend together, but she knows she has to prepare them for “life." After some time, the girls grow apart. They all have issues and deal with them in their own ways instead of communicating with one another. Will they wait too long before reaching out for one another?

“An Ode for Orchids” is a well written book. The flow is magnificent in that it allowed you to follow each woman's life to understand what was going on. James Fant does an excellent job of focusing on issues we all deal with; addiction, forgiveness and true love to name a few. I highly recommend this to others.

Reviewed by: Jas

[Shalini Ayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four granddaughters of Ma Geneva were as precious to her as her orchids, if not more so. Karen, Cicley, Brooke and Dawn. They all converge at their grandmothers house each summer. As unruly as they want to be outside those four walls, inside they were attentive and did as they were told.

Each girl have their own personalities - Cicley always after a boy, twins Brook and Dawn the followers yet laid back; and Karen - introverted but still can speak her mind. Ma Geneva loves having them each summer and knows she needs to prepare them for the challenges that they will face in life.

After an incident that leaves Karen more dependent on prescription drugs, the girls drift apart. They meet again at Brooke's hen party only for Cicley to sever the friendship between her and Karen. Leading different lives - Dawn has a child from a known drug trafficker, Brooke is married and owns a successful barber shop, Cicley is promiscuous as ever but has wealth and status; while Karen still suffers from anxiety attacks and struggles to keep a boyfriend because she's made a pledge of virginity. Will Dawn be able to walk away from a bad relationship? Is Brooke's husband cheating and why does Cicley hate Karen with such passion?

From the opening pages, Fant's novel is filled with a vibrancy and charm that makes you continue reading. The four main characters are strong, mixed up girls who must each realize their own strengths to lead a happy life, but they have to go through a lot to reach that point. Written without ceremony, the author has captured four very different lives and portrayed a world where love, honesty and trust wins through.

This story has it all - addiction, hatred, attraction, love, excitement and spirit. A complex tale of failing relationships and budding love, I completely enjoyed this novel. There are a lot of names and I was a little confused in the beginning with what the relationships are e.g. whose mum was called Sue but it all slipped away as I became embroiled in the story. I found myself wanting to wake Dawn up, couldn't she see she was in a bad relationship? Cicley is not a likable at all but it dissipates when her reason for hating Karen is revealed. Overall a well written book. A highly recommended read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions expressed are my own and I am not required to give a positive review.

[TMDGReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Ode for Orchids is a touching story about four young cousins, Brook and Dawn (twins), Cicely, and Karen, who come together every summer at their "old school" Grandmother's house. Karen's mother dies living a tragic life style and Karen lives with Ma Geneva full time. I was fully impacted by the power of the emotions in this book. Ma Geneva tries to keep the girls on the right path, and worries about the way they are being raised. She does what she can to impress good values upon them while they stay with her. Follow the story and see how bonds, and even grudges form that are carried into their adult years. These early forged feelings shape who they are, how they deal with life's struggles and crisis, and eventually break free from their fears and embrace who they are truly capable of being. The strength of the relationships, and the pains endured brought me to tears more than once. It is compelling, honest, emotional, and inspiring. A wonderful read.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[K.R. Bankston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revival...I named this review Revival because Author James Fant did just that. He revived my belief in the human spirit, in love, in true friendship and in God's amazing ability to love us no matter what. This story brought out every gamut of emotion as I read it. I felt each character, as their story unfolded and their lives were lived out on the pages of the novel. Everything about this book was flawless in my opinion. It flowed effortlessly and the ride never let you go until the very end, an ending that some may have found sad, actually left me a warmth radiating all over my body and a small smile on my lips. I waited impatiently for this books release, and I can tell you I was NOT disappointed. I will definitely pick up other works by this Author and I implore you to do the same.

[Berkita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful story that brings real life to your table. I found it a true page turner as it kept me locked with it's spirit for detail. It has everything from heart break , love, and lost.

[Melissa T]

The plot line sounded intriguing, but the flow ofthe language was really inconsistent and I didn't connect with the characters.