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The Lemon Orchard
In the five years since Julia last visited her aunt and uncle’s home in Malibu, her life has been turned upside down by her daughter’s death. She expects to find nothing more than peace and solitude as she house-sits with only her dog, Bonnie, for company. But she finds herself drawn to the handsome man who oversees the lemon orchard.
Roberto expertly tends the trees, using the money to support his extended Mexican family. What connection could these two people share? The answer comes as Roberto reveals the heartbreaking story of his own loss—a pain Julia knows all too well, but for one striking difference: Roberto’s daughter was lost but never found. And despite the odds he cannot bear to give up hope.
Roberto expertly tends the trees, using the money to support his extended Mexican family. What connection could these two people share? The answer comes as Roberto reveals the heartbreaking story of his own loss—a pain Julia knows all too well, but for one striking difference: Roberto’s daughter was lost but never found. And despite the odds he cannot bear to give up hope.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2013
431 people are currently reading
4816 people want to read
About the author
Luanne Rice
109 books3,145 followersLuanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 611 reviews
August 11, 2016
The story concern two people who have both lost daughters. One is American anthropologist Julia. Her teenage daughter died suddenly. Was it a car accident or something more than that? Roberto, a Mexican while trying to cross the desert and reach America and his father, loses his young daughter, Rosa. He has no idea if Rosa is dead or alive. When the story opens Roberto is an illegal immigrant working on a lemon orchard. The settings of Mexico, the desert and Malibu are wonderfully described. I could see it all and could almost smell the lemon orchard. I also really liked the characters, including Jack Leary who is a retired US border patrol.
Due to their losses, friendship develops between Julia and Roberto. Can it ever be anything more than that, given their vastly different backgrounds? Julia does resolve to help Roberto find some answers about what happened to Rosa. I became very involved with these characters and their situation. What reading this book did make me think a lot about was the plight of refugees today, who no doubt have that same attitude as many of the Mexicans who tried to cross into USA do.’ ‘The migrants who make this trip feel they have no choice. They know it is their last trip – either they’re going to make it or die trying.’
Since I was so engaged with the characters, there were a few tears at various times throughout this book. I had mixed feelings about the ending though. Not going to say more as it would give too much away. All in all, I found this an enjoyable and involving read.
Due to their losses, friendship develops between Julia and Roberto. Can it ever be anything more than that, given their vastly different backgrounds? Julia does resolve to help Roberto find some answers about what happened to Rosa. I became very involved with these characters and their situation. What reading this book did make me think a lot about was the plight of refugees today, who no doubt have that same attitude as many of the Mexicans who tried to cross into USA do.’ ‘The migrants who make this trip feel they have no choice. They know it is their last trip – either they’re going to make it or die trying.’
Since I was so engaged with the characters, there were a few tears at various times throughout this book. I had mixed feelings about the ending though. Not going to say more as it would give too much away. All in all, I found this an enjoyable and involving read.
October 14, 2014
I’ve taken some time after finishing this book to write my review, because I needed a little bit to think this story over. I enjoyed the book a lot, but I wish I’d made a visit to Luanne Rice’s web site before beginning to read it. There, in a short description of the story, are two words that would have saved me from an ending that threw me for one huge loop.
Julia’s story begins with the devastating loss of her daughter; we’re given a look into this family’s life and the events that lead up to the accident. Five years later after a self-imposed hermit-like existence, she makes a trip to Malibu to house-sit for her aunt and uncle while they travel. The beautiful house she’s always loved sits amid the lemon orchard that holds just as many memories. Talking walks with Bonnie, the family collie, along the familiar path to the ocean, Julia spies the new orchard manager, Roberto, a handsome, soft-spoken Mexican man who would never take his job and life in the United States for granted.
Also sustaining the loss of a child, Roberto still carries guilt since his daughter disappeared while they crossed the border from Mexico into the states. Though he searched for her after his deportation, there was no sign of little Rosa. Living now with the father he idolized as a child, Roberto enjoys his work with the lemons, and the growing relationship with Julia is something he never imagined.
The way we get to know these characters is done not only as they get to know one another, but also through flashbacks of the times that would affect them both before and after their losses. Julia and Jenny were especially close. They both loved the water, swimming in the waves of a coming storm. We watch as a young Roberto is excited when his father is visiting from the US, then his melancholy when his dad must leave again. Though their family was falling apart, Julia is shocked at the results of the police investigation after the accident. Roberto’s story of his and Rosa’s struggle across the American desert to have a better life is harrowing and heartbreaking.
In between all of this, attraction between Roberto and Julia grows. Roberto is aware his father would not approve, believing his son reaching beyond his station; Julia now on a mission to discover what really happened to Rosa. Their loving, when it finally comes, is sweet and life altering. They become partners in more ways than one, fighting together when all seems lost. And then when Roberto’s world is made whole again, the future for him and Julia is in jeopardy.
And this is where those two little words I was not aware of beforehand creep in – love story. Roberto and Julia do fall in love. It’s a wonderful journey with them on the way there. Which is why I’m so very flummoxed when it comes to Julia’s actions at the end of the book. There are so many choices she has at her fingertips. With a little work, yes, but worth the effort. But she makes the one decision I never saw coming. The one I don’t understand. One I really, really dislike. She never thought she’d find love again, especially after such devastation. So why she does this is just…unimaginable. And turns this romance into a love story.
I like these characters a lot. You feel their pain as each life story unfolds, then their happiness as a new life opens up before them. You can hear the ocean in the distance, smell the lemon in the air. Terror is all around when everything is threatened so fast and furiously. Joy abounds when a miracle appears where one couldn’t have been imagined. And then the despair, the feeling of a different kind of loss, surrounds. A sliver of hope is still to be had, right up until the last paragraph. If all of these things hadn’t been brought through as effortlessly and succinctly as they have through Ms. Rice’s writing, my grade would be much lower because of my own loss of hope.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Julia’s story begins with the devastating loss of her daughter; we’re given a look into this family’s life and the events that lead up to the accident. Five years later after a self-imposed hermit-like existence, she makes a trip to Malibu to house-sit for her aunt and uncle while they travel. The beautiful house she’s always loved sits amid the lemon orchard that holds just as many memories. Talking walks with Bonnie, the family collie, along the familiar path to the ocean, Julia spies the new orchard manager, Roberto, a handsome, soft-spoken Mexican man who would never take his job and life in the United States for granted.
Also sustaining the loss of a child, Roberto still carries guilt since his daughter disappeared while they crossed the border from Mexico into the states. Though he searched for her after his deportation, there was no sign of little Rosa. Living now with the father he idolized as a child, Roberto enjoys his work with the lemons, and the growing relationship with Julia is something he never imagined.
The way we get to know these characters is done not only as they get to know one another, but also through flashbacks of the times that would affect them both before and after their losses. Julia and Jenny were especially close. They both loved the water, swimming in the waves of a coming storm. We watch as a young Roberto is excited when his father is visiting from the US, then his melancholy when his dad must leave again. Though their family was falling apart, Julia is shocked at the results of the police investigation after the accident. Roberto’s story of his and Rosa’s struggle across the American desert to have a better life is harrowing and heartbreaking.
In between all of this, attraction between Roberto and Julia grows. Roberto is aware his father would not approve, believing his son reaching beyond his station; Julia now on a mission to discover what really happened to Rosa. Their loving, when it finally comes, is sweet and life altering. They become partners in more ways than one, fighting together when all seems lost. And then when Roberto’s world is made whole again, the future for him and Julia is in jeopardy.
And this is where those two little words I was not aware of beforehand creep in – love story. Roberto and Julia do fall in love. It’s a wonderful journey with them on the way there. Which is why I’m so very flummoxed when it comes to Julia’s actions at the end of the book. There are so many choices she has at her fingertips. With a little work, yes, but worth the effort. But she makes the one decision I never saw coming. The one I don’t understand. One I really, really dislike. She never thought she’d find love again, especially after such devastation. So why she does this is just…unimaginable. And turns this romance into a love story.
I like these characters a lot. You feel their pain as each life story unfolds, then their happiness as a new life opens up before them. You can hear the ocean in the distance, smell the lemon in the air. Terror is all around when everything is threatened so fast and furiously. Joy abounds when a miracle appears where one couldn’t have been imagined. And then the despair, the feeling of a different kind of loss, surrounds. A sliver of hope is still to be had, right up until the last paragraph. If all of these things hadn’t been brought through as effortlessly and succinctly as they have through Ms. Rice’s writing, my grade would be much lower because of my own loss of hope.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
January 13, 2023
This is the story of Roberto, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who lost his daughter when crossing into the US; and Julia, from Connecticut but staying temporarily in her uncle’s house in Malibu, who lost her daughter in a car crash-perhaps suicide-and her husband , whom she was getting ready to divorce. Roberto is the manager of the lemon orchard at Julia’s uncle’s home. They become friends, bonding over the losses of their daughters. I am not a romance reader, usually. I know this author is quite prolific, and this had interesting elements intertwined, including immigration, and the search for Roberto’s lost daughter. So I thought I would give it a try. But…nothing about this love story will stick with me. The characters are stilted, stiff. There are other characters, such as Lion, an aging movie star who has long been in love with Julia’s aunt, and Jack, who is a retired border patrol agent aiding in the search for Roberto’s lost daughter, Rosa. Frankly they seem like extras, and thrown in just because. The most interesting part of the book is the immigrants, and their stories of crossing in to the States, some barely alive, some caught and returned, just gruesome images of people who are simply trying to make a better life at all costs.
It just did not mesh for me, otherwise.
It just did not mesh for me, otherwise.
June 28, 2013
The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice
I wanted to read this book for a few reasons: 1. the author is from the same state as I and I've read all her other books and loved them=they make you think 2. it's about trees-love knowing others use their hands to make a living and know I will be learning something new in this book.
Book starts out with Jenny and her dad in the car on their way when there is an accident. Love the idea of moon picnics and we learn she was going to divorce Peter..
Next it turns to Roberto, an immigrant with a daughter in Mexico and he lives in East LA where they gangs live, he runs her uncles n his lemon orchard. His family heads to Ireland for a month and Julia Hughes is there to watch over the place. She's come to the west coast with the dog, Bonnie.
She had spent much time at her uncle John Riley's orchard over the years and he was the one to encourage her to study anthropology and she had. She also dined with Lion-an actor her aunt Gracie used to work with.
Love the bond and things Julia and Jenny did together! Love learning about the lemon trees.
Roberto tells her of how he lost his daughter and she pulls out her old research: she was in the desert in Mexico with her daughter one summer for her grad work. She may have some leads as to how to find her again. They start sharing dinners together...
Many others are involved and their clues lead them to more discoveries.
Particularly liked hearing of the terrain, the desert and the big city and especially the shoreline. Characters are easy to keep track of. Loved the new things I learned along the way.
I received this book from Edelweiss by Penguin Group (USA) Inc in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to read this book for a few reasons: 1. the author is from the same state as I and I've read all her other books and loved them=they make you think 2. it's about trees-love knowing others use their hands to make a living and know I will be learning something new in this book.
Book starts out with Jenny and her dad in the car on their way when there is an accident. Love the idea of moon picnics and we learn she was going to divorce Peter..
Next it turns to Roberto, an immigrant with a daughter in Mexico and he lives in East LA where they gangs live, he runs her uncles n his lemon orchard. His family heads to Ireland for a month and Julia Hughes is there to watch over the place. She's come to the west coast with the dog, Bonnie.
She had spent much time at her uncle John Riley's orchard over the years and he was the one to encourage her to study anthropology and she had. She also dined with Lion-an actor her aunt Gracie used to work with.
Love the bond and things Julia and Jenny did together! Love learning about the lemon trees.
Roberto tells her of how he lost his daughter and she pulls out her old research: she was in the desert in Mexico with her daughter one summer for her grad work. She may have some leads as to how to find her again. They start sharing dinners together...
Many others are involved and their clues lead them to more discoveries.
Particularly liked hearing of the terrain, the desert and the big city and especially the shoreline. Characters are easy to keep track of. Loved the new things I learned along the way.
I received this book from Edelweiss by Penguin Group (USA) Inc in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2015
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Julia is still reeling five years after the death of her daughter and husband. While visiting her Aunt and Uncle in Malibu she forms a bond with Roberto, a man who is also suffering through the loss of a daughter. Julia’s daughter died and is truly gone, however, Roberto’s daughter was lost in the desert while attempting to cross over into the United States from Mexico.
The relationship between Julia and Roberto was initially very moving and their bond was very apparent. I loved seeing the two come together and heal one another because of shared grief but their relationship quickly became stagnant and never developed (as relationships typically do). The characters in general were never unrealistic but they definitely lacked a convincing quality that made me invested in their story.
What played a huge part in this story is Mexican immigration and I can honestly say if I had known this I would have never picked this book up. It’s just not a topic of interest for me, especially when it’s portrayed in this manner. At one point in the story it’s stated that the Irish immigration is just like the Mexican immigration because of the similar types of prejudice that they face. Now, I’m no history professor but that gave even me pause. Based on my understanding, immigration laws were vastly different in the 19th century and not only that but the Irish didn’t have welfare programs to take advantage of like there are in existence today. When the Irish immigrated to America there weren’t laws in place that prevented them legally from doing so and they had to work hard and be self-sufficient in order for them and their families to survive. The current immigration from Mexico does not conform with our current laws so that alone is a huge difference and should prevent any sort of comparison so I’ll just leave it at that.
The Lemon Orchard is clearly outside of the author’s comfort zone, touching on hot topic issues like immigration, the stereotypes associated with individuals that immigrate and the mixing of different social classes. While I can appreciate the fact that these topics are being discussed, I’m not sure it succeeded in challenging anything (except for succeeding in following the same stereotypical path) and never quite made me sympathetic as I’m sure was intended.
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Julia is still reeling five years after the death of her daughter and husband. While visiting her Aunt and Uncle in Malibu she forms a bond with Roberto, a man who is also suffering through the loss of a daughter. Julia’s daughter died and is truly gone, however, Roberto’s daughter was lost in the desert while attempting to cross over into the United States from Mexico.
The relationship between Julia and Roberto was initially very moving and their bond was very apparent. I loved seeing the two come together and heal one another because of shared grief but their relationship quickly became stagnant and never developed (as relationships typically do). The characters in general were never unrealistic but they definitely lacked a convincing quality that made me invested in their story.
What played a huge part in this story is Mexican immigration and I can honestly say if I had known this I would have never picked this book up. It’s just not a topic of interest for me, especially when it’s portrayed in this manner. At one point in the story it’s stated that the Irish immigration is just like the Mexican immigration because of the similar types of prejudice that they face. Now, I’m no history professor but that gave even me pause. Based on my understanding, immigration laws were vastly different in the 19th century and not only that but the Irish didn’t have welfare programs to take advantage of like there are in existence today. When the Irish immigrated to America there weren’t laws in place that prevented them legally from doing so and they had to work hard and be self-sufficient in order for them and their families to survive. The current immigration from Mexico does not conform with our current laws so that alone is a huge difference and should prevent any sort of comparison so I’ll just leave it at that.
The Lemon Orchard is clearly outside of the author’s comfort zone, touching on hot topic issues like immigration, the stereotypes associated with individuals that immigrate and the mixing of different social classes. While I can appreciate the fact that these topics are being discussed, I’m not sure it succeeded in challenging anything (except for succeeding in following the same stereotypical path) and never quite made me sympathetic as I’m sure was intended.
August 22, 2013
The star of this story is the landscape. The seaside lemon orchard in California gets a glowing tribute, especially during the a wildfire and the dusty Santa Ana winds. Maybe it’s just because I’m in the middle of a Louisiana forest in June but I’ve never wanted to be in the ocean more than I do when I’m reading about Julia and her daughter Jenny on the beach.
But there are two relationships that should be the backbone of this book: Julia and Roberto, and Julia and Jenny, but I found both of them lacking in sincerity and authenticity. Their interactions are too blatantly tailored to a predetermined arc rather than true to the way people naturally communicate and get to know each other. A particularly jarring example was during Roberto and Julia’s first meeting, when he presses her to tell him who Jenny is, despite her obvious discomfort and the fact that she’s basically his boss. It seems to me like something that might happen if a story was meticulously planned before characters were fleshed out to act in it. Julia and Roberto’s relationship continued to lag in believability and development until it turned into a chore to read about them. At the same time, the story of Rosa unfolds into a far more interesting plotline and I was tempted to skip the ‘romantic’ parts to find out what happened to her. I was often baffled by a character’s thought process and didn’t really follow a lot of the motivations. In the end, the resolution of Rosa’s disappearance was satisfying, but Julia and Roberto continued to confuse me until the very last page.
But there are two relationships that should be the backbone of this book: Julia and Roberto, and Julia and Jenny, but I found both of them lacking in sincerity and authenticity. Their interactions are too blatantly tailored to a predetermined arc rather than true to the way people naturally communicate and get to know each other. A particularly jarring example was during Roberto and Julia’s first meeting, when he presses her to tell him who Jenny is, despite her obvious discomfort and the fact that she’s basically his boss. It seems to me like something that might happen if a story was meticulously planned before characters were fleshed out to act in it. Julia and Roberto’s relationship continued to lag in believability and development until it turned into a chore to read about them. At the same time, the story of Rosa unfolds into a far more interesting plotline and I was tempted to skip the ‘romantic’ parts to find out what happened to her. I was often baffled by a character’s thought process and didn’t really follow a lot of the motivations. In the end, the resolution of Rosa’s disappearance was satisfying, but Julia and Roberto continued to confuse me until the very last page.
July 16, 2013
California, Mexico, a lemon orchard, an estate owner, and a special Mexican worker in the lemon orchard.
Roberto, a worker in the lemon orchard, and Julia, the niece of the owner of the lemon orchard had one thing in common, and they were drawn to each other.
Julia and Roberto had both lost children, one in an accident and one in the desert. Both of their lives were consumed with the grief of their loss even after five years, and they shared this common bond.
THE LEMON ORCHARD was a beautiful story about the cruelty as well as the beauty our lives hold for us. You will become a part of the lives of Julia and Roberto in this splendidly told tale of what it means to truly love and to truly lose something or someone you love.
Ms. Rice’s descriptions of the California and Mexico landscapes was amazing. I could easily visualize the lemon orchard, the estate's house and grounds, and the raging forest fire as well as the desert and the path Roberto had to follow to cross the border from Mexico into the United States.
The characters were well developed and believable. The authenticity and reality of the border control operation and the suffering of the Mexicans crossing the border definitely had been well researched.
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Rice, and I was very pleased with her writing as well as the storyline. The story flowed nicely, kept your interest, and the ending pages had me turning as fast as I could to see how things would turn out. The book will pull you right in as you soak up the beauty of the Malibu countryside as well as the lives of the characters.
Marvelously written and researched, I hope you are able to read this book. It took a few pages to see where the book was headed, but THE LEMON ORCHARD is well worth the wait. ENJOY!! 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Roberto, a worker in the lemon orchard, and Julia, the niece of the owner of the lemon orchard had one thing in common, and they were drawn to each other.
Julia and Roberto had both lost children, one in an accident and one in the desert. Both of their lives were consumed with the grief of their loss even after five years, and they shared this common bond.
THE LEMON ORCHARD was a beautiful story about the cruelty as well as the beauty our lives hold for us. You will become a part of the lives of Julia and Roberto in this splendidly told tale of what it means to truly love and to truly lose something or someone you love.
Ms. Rice’s descriptions of the California and Mexico landscapes was amazing. I could easily visualize the lemon orchard, the estate's house and grounds, and the raging forest fire as well as the desert and the path Roberto had to follow to cross the border from Mexico into the United States.
The characters were well developed and believable. The authenticity and reality of the border control operation and the suffering of the Mexicans crossing the border definitely had been well researched.
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Rice, and I was very pleased with her writing as well as the storyline. The story flowed nicely, kept your interest, and the ending pages had me turning as fast as I could to see how things would turn out. The book will pull you right in as you soak up the beauty of the Malibu countryside as well as the lives of the characters.
Marvelously written and researched, I hope you are able to read this book. It took a few pages to see where the book was headed, but THE LEMON ORCHARD is well worth the wait. ENJOY!! 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 12, 2013
My Thoughts
Julia and Roberto - two souls struggling with life as they silently bear the burden of their own individual losses. Each of them is very different, but as we know, tragedy know no boundaries, has no rules and is not governed by socioeconomic status. And so they are drawn together and through their relationship, they begin to heal.
What a touching story and so well written. I was completely caught off guard by the ending - it made me gasp!
I will never listen to the immigration debate again without thinking of this book. Also, I ALWAYS tell people that I don’t read novels classified as romance. That has changed with reading this. I could not have made a better choice for my first foray into the prolific library that is Ms. Rice’s written word. Lucky me.
Muchas Gracias to Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Publish date: July 2, 2013.
Julia and Roberto - two souls struggling with life as they silently bear the burden of their own individual losses. Each of them is very different, but as we know, tragedy know no boundaries, has no rules and is not governed by socioeconomic status. And so they are drawn together and through their relationship, they begin to heal.
What a touching story and so well written. I was completely caught off guard by the ending - it made me gasp!
I will never listen to the immigration debate again without thinking of this book. Also, I ALWAYS tell people that I don’t read novels classified as romance. That has changed with reading this. I could not have made a better choice for my first foray into the prolific library that is Ms. Rice’s written word. Lucky me.
Muchas Gracias to Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
Publish date: July 2, 2013.
January 31, 2021
It's been five years since Julia Hughes lost her only child, Jenny, in a car accident. Her husband died in the same crash but Julia's grief is solely for her daughter. She leaves her solitary life in New England to house sit for her aunt and uncle in their Malibu estate, accompanied by her dog Bonnie. While there, she finds a heartbreaking connection to the Mexican orchard manager, Roberto Rodriguez, whose daughter was lost and never found ten years ago.
Roberto's tragic story seems to breathe life into dormant Julia. His is a haunting tale that not only chronicles how his daughter, Rosa, was lost but the harrowing and human experience of Mexican men, women and children who attempt to cross the borders into America for the sole purpose of searching for a better life. Julia, an anthropologist, becomes almost obsessed with trying to determine what happened to Rosa, almost as if by doing so she's again reunited with her own child. The romance that develops between Julia and Roberto is touching as it seems to be the balm that both need to heal.
I'm still haunted by this story, maybe because the ending may have left too much to my imagination. It's a beautifully written story with gut-wrenching honesty in the portrayal of the immigration journey, Julia and Roberto's grief and their romance. I still hold out hope for a sequel but if not, the writer accomplished her goal in reaching me emotionally and compassionately. It's my first Rice novel and it will not be my last.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
Roberto's tragic story seems to breathe life into dormant Julia. His is a haunting tale that not only chronicles how his daughter, Rosa, was lost but the harrowing and human experience of Mexican men, women and children who attempt to cross the borders into America for the sole purpose of searching for a better life. Julia, an anthropologist, becomes almost obsessed with trying to determine what happened to Rosa, almost as if by doing so she's again reunited with her own child. The romance that develops between Julia and Roberto is touching as it seems to be the balm that both need to heal.
I'm still haunted by this story, maybe because the ending may have left too much to my imagination. It's a beautifully written story with gut-wrenching honesty in the portrayal of the immigration journey, Julia and Roberto's grief and their romance. I still hold out hope for a sequel but if not, the writer accomplished her goal in reaching me emotionally and compassionately. It's my first Rice novel and it will not be my last.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
September 4, 2013
By ANNETTE MARDIS
Luanne Rice's books always have been deeply tinged with loss: of a lover, a family member, a lifestyle. Her characters' deep yearnings for what once was can make her readers' hearts ache, too, until the expected happy ending.
Every once in a while, and especially in later books, Rice changes things up and offers bittersweet and sometimes ambivalent finales to her touching tales that, while not as emotionally satisfying, certainly are much more real.
That's what awaits readers in "The Lemon Orchard," which, in addition to Rice's usual themes of nature and family, also tackles illegal immigration, particularly across the Mexico-USA border.
Roberto and six-year-old daughter Rosa get separated while attempting the dangerous and often deadly desert crossing into Arizona. The frantic father tries to find her, to no avail, and eventually settles near Los Angeles, fearing and strongly suspecting, but not sure, that his little girl is dead.
Into Roberto's life comes the widowed anthropologist Julia, whose teenage daughter's death in a one-car wreck within sight of their Connecticut home is shrouded in questions. Julia, whose aunt and uncle own the coastal California estate where Roberto manages the lemon orchard, recognizes a kindred spirit in grief, and an unlikely love affair develops.
Brought back to life by both Roberto's affections and a sense of reconnection with her lost daughter, Jenny, Julia takes it upon herself to find out what really happened to Rosa.
Aiding her cause is a retired border patrol agent grieving his own loss. Jack's late wife taught him to have compassion for the impoverished Mexicans seeking a better life in the promised land of plenty.
Rice's timely novel certainly is sympathetic toward the illegals who risk everything just for the chance to make more money to feed their families. But it never preaches, nor does it simplify the immigration debate.
Instead, it shows that there has to be a more humane way to handle the problem.
Luanne Rice's books always have been deeply tinged with loss: of a lover, a family member, a lifestyle. Her characters' deep yearnings for what once was can make her readers' hearts ache, too, until the expected happy ending.
Every once in a while, and especially in later books, Rice changes things up and offers bittersweet and sometimes ambivalent finales to her touching tales that, while not as emotionally satisfying, certainly are much more real.
That's what awaits readers in "The Lemon Orchard," which, in addition to Rice's usual themes of nature and family, also tackles illegal immigration, particularly across the Mexico-USA border.
Roberto and six-year-old daughter Rosa get separated while attempting the dangerous and often deadly desert crossing into Arizona. The frantic father tries to find her, to no avail, and eventually settles near Los Angeles, fearing and strongly suspecting, but not sure, that his little girl is dead.
Into Roberto's life comes the widowed anthropologist Julia, whose teenage daughter's death in a one-car wreck within sight of their Connecticut home is shrouded in questions. Julia, whose aunt and uncle own the coastal California estate where Roberto manages the lemon orchard, recognizes a kindred spirit in grief, and an unlikely love affair develops.
Brought back to life by both Roberto's affections and a sense of reconnection with her lost daughter, Jenny, Julia takes it upon herself to find out what really happened to Rosa.
Aiding her cause is a retired border patrol agent grieving his own loss. Jack's late wife taught him to have compassion for the impoverished Mexicans seeking a better life in the promised land of plenty.
Rice's timely novel certainly is sympathetic toward the illegals who risk everything just for the chance to make more money to feed their families. But it never preaches, nor does it simplify the immigration debate.
Instead, it shows that there has to be a more humane way to handle the problem.
May 1, 2016
I really enjoyed The Lemon Orchard: A Novel by Luanne Rice. I have never read anything by this author before but will certainly look for other books by her.
The story take place in California where the reader is introduced to the two main characters. Julia has moved to the lemon orchard to recover from the tragic loss of her daughter and husband. It is here that she meets Roberto, who oversees the lemon orchard. As they get to know each other, Roberto recounts the story of how he lost his daughter, Rosa, while they were crossing the border from Mexico to the US.
The book is not just about losing a child, albeit one loss is permanent, but it also covers the topic of illegal immigration. It presents a more human approach to the topic and shows how many innocent people searching for a new life are really the victims not just of the system but the vultures who take advantage of the families moving between Mexico and the US. Very well presented!!
I look forward to reading more by Luanne Rice.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
The story take place in California where the reader is introduced to the two main characters. Julia has moved to the lemon orchard to recover from the tragic loss of her daughter and husband. It is here that she meets Roberto, who oversees the lemon orchard. As they get to know each other, Roberto recounts the story of how he lost his daughter, Rosa, while they were crossing the border from Mexico to the US.
The book is not just about losing a child, albeit one loss is permanent, but it also covers the topic of illegal immigration. It presents a more human approach to the topic and shows how many innocent people searching for a new life are really the victims not just of the system but the vultures who take advantage of the families moving between Mexico and the US. Very well presented!!
I look forward to reading more by Luanne Rice.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
June 6, 2013
Ohhhh, I loved this book so much, I stayed up much too late to finish it!!!.....I could just smell the scent of lemons throughout the book....Once again Luanne writes such a visual story & it gripped my heart right from the very first pages. I loved Roberto & Rosa's heart breaking story, how strongly they felt the need to be in the US & what promise the US held for them. I loved the connection between Julia & Roberto, the connection of loss & sadness & love. One character you never meet is Jack's wife Louella but I felt I knew her & loved the relationship between Louellla & Jack-just loved that they had a teardrop camper!!
Of course I happily found a Springsteen reference, actually some wonderful music was mentioned throughout.
We need a sequel!!!
Of course I happily found a Springsteen reference, actually some wonderful music was mentioned throughout.
We need a sequel!!!
October 1, 2016
This was a really good story. It had sadness in it but also good parts with happiness. I really enjoyed reading this book. I did not want to put it down. It was a nice, good read. I was not completely happy with the ending but I guess logical and not too sappy. Would definitely recommend this book, especially to people who live or have lived near the Mexican border towns, as I have in the past.
May 15, 2014
A beautifully written story of two people finding their way and healing. An emotional story of Julia, set in breathtaking Santa Monica Mountains at her aunt and uncle’s lemon orchard –house sitting with her dog Bonnie while they are away in Ireland.
Julie is still mourning the loss of her daughter in a car accident and seeks solace and peace to deal with her grief and guilt. Her marriage was in trouble at the time of the accident, and compounded with the death of her husband and her daughter.
While at the orchard she meets Roberto, a migrant worker from Mexico who is in charge of the orchard operations. As they say, some people are in your life for a season or a reason. (I am a true believer of this).
In this case Julia sees Roberto as a kindred spirit who has also experienced loss in his life, as his daughter went missing five years ago. This couple become close and fall in love; however, they still have their loss. Julia becomes obsessed solving the mystery of the journey of Roberto and his missing daughter.
Julia decides to help find her and the tale that unfolds is breathtakingly beautiful, suspenseful, romantic and completely captivating. Roberto has a heartbreaking story and a pain Julia knows too well.
Rice is at the top of her game with the well-written Lemon Orchard-the intimate details, plot, and finely developed characters. This is a must read and highly recommend!
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
Julie is still mourning the loss of her daughter in a car accident and seeks solace and peace to deal with her grief and guilt. Her marriage was in trouble at the time of the accident, and compounded with the death of her husband and her daughter.
While at the orchard she meets Roberto, a migrant worker from Mexico who is in charge of the orchard operations. As they say, some people are in your life for a season or a reason. (I am a true believer of this).
In this case Julia sees Roberto as a kindred spirit who has also experienced loss in his life, as his daughter went missing five years ago. This couple become close and fall in love; however, they still have their loss. Julia becomes obsessed solving the mystery of the journey of Roberto and his missing daughter.
Julia decides to help find her and the tale that unfolds is breathtakingly beautiful, suspenseful, romantic and completely captivating. Roberto has a heartbreaking story and a pain Julia knows too well.
Rice is at the top of her game with the well-written Lemon Orchard-the intimate details, plot, and finely developed characters. This is a must read and highly recommend!
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
February 18, 2024
Now I see why so many like Luanne Rice. This was a touching book with great characters and setting. It’s about two parents that have lost their children in different ways. As I was reading the book, one could feel the heartache, love, and hope the two main characters faced separately and together. My favorite thing about this one was the softer, sadder side of illegal immigration. The author did her research. Well done Luanne!
June 5, 2014
THE LEMON ORCHARD is a bittersweet love story set in a beautiful Malibu lemon orchard by the Pacific Ocean. It's in this orchard that Julia, an anthropologist, and Roberto, an undocumented immigrant worker, meet and fall in love. Julia's teenage daughter was killed in a tragic accident five years earlier, and she's been living in a fog of grief ever since. A job as house sitter for her aunt and uncle at their lemon orchard seems like the perfect escape. Roberto has been living with his own grief too. He lost his daughter Rosa in the Arizona desert after crossing the border from Mexico, and she was never found. Living in the United States illegally makes it almost impossible to find Rosa again, but he won't give up hope.
This book was so much bigger than the unlikely romance between two different individuals. It gave an eye-opening account of the lengths desperate people will go through to support their families. Illegal immigration from Mexico is a hot-button issue in the US, and I think this book brings to light the horror and suffering that individuals and families go through to cross the border. Throughout the book, the author compares the poor treatment of Irish immigrants in the 19th century with what is happening with Mexican immigrants today, which is compelling food for thought.
THE LEMON ORCHARD was an emotional and suspenseful read for me, and I enjoyed it. Luanne Rice has a beautiful, fluid writing-style that completely pulls me in. Her vivid descriptions of the lush orchard and the Santa Monica Mountains were so gorgeous. I so wanted to be there. This book left me with a couple of niggling questions, particularly about Julia's daughter, but that's okay. THE LEMON ORCHARD was heartbreaking and thought-provoking, and well worth a read.
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Source: Review copy from the book tour company
This book was so much bigger than the unlikely romance between two different individuals. It gave an eye-opening account of the lengths desperate people will go through to support their families. Illegal immigration from Mexico is a hot-button issue in the US, and I think this book brings to light the horror and suffering that individuals and families go through to cross the border. Throughout the book, the author compares the poor treatment of Irish immigrants in the 19th century with what is happening with Mexican immigrants today, which is compelling food for thought.
THE LEMON ORCHARD was an emotional and suspenseful read for me, and I enjoyed it. Luanne Rice has a beautiful, fluid writing-style that completely pulls me in. Her vivid descriptions of the lush orchard and the Santa Monica Mountains were so gorgeous. I so wanted to be there. This book left me with a couple of niggling questions, particularly about Julia's daughter, but that's okay. THE LEMON ORCHARD was heartbreaking and thought-provoking, and well worth a read.
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Source: Review copy from the book tour company
July 5, 2013
I give Luanne Rice credit for leaving her usual Connecticut seashore setting and writing about the illegal Mexican immigrant experience in southern California. She makes a point of reminding us how the Irish immigrants of the 19th century faced similar prejudice and protest, yet became an integral part of our society. It's impossible not to feel for hero Roberto, who is only looking for a better life for himself and his daughter.
However, as usual with most of Rice's recent books, the love story is so insipid and the main characters are so bland that I couldn't feel at all connected to them, even though both hero and heroine have suffered tremendous losses. They seem to inhabit some alternative universe where falling in love is immediate, absolute, and comes without any internal conflicts or personality differences. The addition of several secondary characters, including a former Border Patrol agent and an aging movie star, don't add much to the story. The bittersweet ending, much like the rest of the book, left me cold.
Once upon a time, Luanne Rice wrote interesting novels with nuanced characters, but for the past 10 years her books have had all of the depth of a Hallmark greeting card. I miss the old Luanne Rice but I guess I need to realize that she is not coming back.
However, as usual with most of Rice's recent books, the love story is so insipid and the main characters are so bland that I couldn't feel at all connected to them, even though both hero and heroine have suffered tremendous losses. They seem to inhabit some alternative universe where falling in love is immediate, absolute, and comes without any internal conflicts or personality differences. The addition of several secondary characters, including a former Border Patrol agent and an aging movie star, don't add much to the story. The bittersweet ending, much like the rest of the book, left me cold.
Once upon a time, Luanne Rice wrote interesting novels with nuanced characters, but for the past 10 years her books have had all of the depth of a Hallmark greeting card. I miss the old Luanne Rice but I guess I need to realize that she is not coming back.
December 5, 2014
This is the first book I have read by this author and now I will probably read others as I liked it very much.
The Lemon Orchard begins with the death of 16 year old Jenny and her father Peter in a car accident. Jenny's Mom, Julia, and the family dog Bonnie are following in another car and come upon the accident to find both father and daughter have died.
After 5 years of grieving alone in her house with no one to keep her company besides Bonnie, Julia travels to Malibu, Ca to housesit for her aunt and uncle while they are away. There she meets the orchard manager, Roberto, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who also lost his daughter Rosa 5 years ago.
With such a strong common bond between them, a friendship between Julia and Roberto develops. What also develops slowly throughout the book is the story of Robert's crossing from Mexico to the US and how he lost his daughter.
The book has a lovely pace as Roberto's tragic tale unfolds and as the relationship between Roberto and Julio grows. Beautiful descriptions throughout the book of the Malibu landscape, the harsh desert that Roberto and Rosa walk through to reach the US, cooking, food, and of course, the Lemon Orchard.
This book is so close to be 5 stars for me - not sure what holds me back from giving that rating. A 4 1/2 stars for sure.
The Lemon Orchard begins with the death of 16 year old Jenny and her father Peter in a car accident. Jenny's Mom, Julia, and the family dog Bonnie are following in another car and come upon the accident to find both father and daughter have died.
After 5 years of grieving alone in her house with no one to keep her company besides Bonnie, Julia travels to Malibu, Ca to housesit for her aunt and uncle while they are away. There she meets the orchard manager, Roberto, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who also lost his daughter Rosa 5 years ago.
With such a strong common bond between them, a friendship between Julia and Roberto develops. What also develops slowly throughout the book is the story of Robert's crossing from Mexico to the US and how he lost his daughter.
The book has a lovely pace as Roberto's tragic tale unfolds and as the relationship between Roberto and Julio grows. Beautiful descriptions throughout the book of the Malibu landscape, the harsh desert that Roberto and Rosa walk through to reach the US, cooking, food, and of course, the Lemon Orchard.
This book is so close to be 5 stars for me - not sure what holds me back from giving that rating. A 4 1/2 stars for sure.
January 31, 2013
As always....
August 13, 2024
A good summer read especially as an audio book to make car travel time go nicely. Another dear story by a long time favorite author.
July 4, 2013
4.5 I was delighted when the opportunity presented itself for me to review The Lemon Orchard and I moved my schedule around to accommodate it. I am so glad that I did because Luanne Rice delivered a beautifully poignant tale about loss, love and hope. From the very first page I was enthralled by the author’s voice and her characters. Three word review: heart-breaking, captivating and beautiful.
The tale begins with a first person prologue that immediately draws the reader in, and then we fast forward five years later as Julia agrees to house sit her aunt and uncle’s home located in the coastal foothills of Malibu. The tale is then told in third person and broken up into different perspectives by chapter. Julia and Roberto share the bulk, but we also get a few others. Together with her dog Bonnie they enjoy the solace of the beautiful home surrounded by lemon orchards. She is drawn to Roberto the handsome overseer and she recognizes a similar pain in his eyes. As the two become friends she shares her grief and he shares the story of his missing daughter. Julia decides to help find her and the tale that unfolds is breathtakingly beautiful, suspenseful, romantic and completely captivating.
Rice created characters that are well rounded and completely realistic. I immediately connect with them and felt their emotions. Julia keeps everything bottled up just below the surface and you can see them clearly in her eyes and brow. Rice portrayed her struggles and grief in a way that felt real and I could almost imagine myself in her shoes. Roberto’s story captured my heart, and made me look at illegals from their perspective. Lion is a friend of the family and famous movie star whose love story we become privy to and was one that I enjoyed. He helped give us some outside perspective regarding Julia and Roberto. Jack Leary is a retired Border Patrol Officer and a true man of honor who filled in clues and helped further the suspenseful plot. I admired the man. We meet other characters who help further the plot and give us insight.
The Lemon Orchard flows beautifully as Rice paints both the beautiful coastal community and the characters. All of the characters from the smallest to the main characters were fleshed-out and felt realistic. I love when I can immediately identify with them and understand what drives them. Julia’s loss and road to healing was remarkable in itself and then Rice weaved in Roberto’s tale and I came undone. Her perception of loss and parenthood was profound. The romance that developed was sweet, believable and heartbreaking. I was glad to have been a part of and experience the change it brought about. I enjoyed the first half of the book as I watched things unfold but the second half held me captive and would not let me go. As a result, I sat up very late reading to find out what happened. I closed this book with tears in my eyes as I experienced both sadness and joy.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The tale begins with a first person prologue that immediately draws the reader in, and then we fast forward five years later as Julia agrees to house sit her aunt and uncle’s home located in the coastal foothills of Malibu. The tale is then told in third person and broken up into different perspectives by chapter. Julia and Roberto share the bulk, but we also get a few others. Together with her dog Bonnie they enjoy the solace of the beautiful home surrounded by lemon orchards. She is drawn to Roberto the handsome overseer and she recognizes a similar pain in his eyes. As the two become friends she shares her grief and he shares the story of his missing daughter. Julia decides to help find her and the tale that unfolds is breathtakingly beautiful, suspenseful, romantic and completely captivating.
Rice created characters that are well rounded and completely realistic. I immediately connect with them and felt their emotions. Julia keeps everything bottled up just below the surface and you can see them clearly in her eyes and brow. Rice portrayed her struggles and grief in a way that felt real and I could almost imagine myself in her shoes. Roberto’s story captured my heart, and made me look at illegals from their perspective. Lion is a friend of the family and famous movie star whose love story we become privy to and was one that I enjoyed. He helped give us some outside perspective regarding Julia and Roberto. Jack Leary is a retired Border Patrol Officer and a true man of honor who filled in clues and helped further the suspenseful plot. I admired the man. We meet other characters who help further the plot and give us insight.
The Lemon Orchard flows beautifully as Rice paints both the beautiful coastal community and the characters. All of the characters from the smallest to the main characters were fleshed-out and felt realistic. I love when I can immediately identify with them and understand what drives them. Julia’s loss and road to healing was remarkable in itself and then Rice weaved in Roberto’s tale and I came undone. Her perception of loss and parenthood was profound. The romance that developed was sweet, believable and heartbreaking. I was glad to have been a part of and experience the change it brought about. I enjoyed the first half of the book as I watched things unfold but the second half held me captive and would not let me go. As a result, I sat up very late reading to find out what happened. I closed this book with tears in my eyes as I experienced both sadness and joy.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
November 18, 2024
Beautifully written story, kept me engaged the whole way through. Many parts so sad and shocking. Many parts so full of love.
Luanne Rice certainly knows how to write in such a way that the characters reach into the heart of the reader and pull on heartstrings. It is beautifully written, has such wonderful characters and the plot kept me fully engaged to the end. Now I sit, with some sadness as the story ends, yet feeling enriched as Luanne Rice took me to places I had never been before.
This is essentially a love story. Yes, there is a romantic love story, but really it is a bigger love story. The love of parent for child, and child for parent. The love of ordinary people who see injustice and quietly do something to right the wrongs - and in so doing tug at harder hearts. It is also the love for family. It is a story of compassion, courage and hope.
To me it was a story of contrasts. The contrast of wealth and poverty, American and Mexican, compassion and cruelty, intimate and unconditional love and love that is not willing to be fully open and trusting of another.
Julia and Roberto are drawn together as they have both experienced the loss of a child. The lengths they are prepared to go to grow in their love tugged at my heart. So many other wonderful characters - Jack who has worked for many years as an immigration officer on the border hunting illegal immigrants, and his wonderful wife Louella. Lion, an elderly actor, so human and while he has chosen his way I could not help but feel for him. Rosa the daughter of Roberto, so resilient and courageous, too young to have to face the cruelties of the desert. And I just have to mention Bonnie, the dog who just adds that touch of love of human for animal and animal for human.
Living in a completely different part of the world to where this story is set, I had not realised the plight of the Mexican people and the many lives lost as they have tried to cross into America and the hope of a better life. At times I sat reading and frowning with consternation. Sometimes in my life I have been turned off by people who spout social justice. A story well told, as this one is, far surpasses any social justice person on a soap box.
I loved the settings - the sensory details that Luanne Rice includes, they enabled me to visualise the places, smell the smells and feel the heat. This book as it tells the story has a number of flashbacks. Normally I dislike them, however in this book Luanne Rice seamlessly integrates them, it is like this is exactly what is needed at this point.
This story will linger with me for a long while. I know that at some time in the future I intend to use a credit at Audible and listen to the audio of the story and savour it all over again.
Luanne Rice certainly knows how to write in such a way that the characters reach into the heart of the reader and pull on heartstrings. It is beautifully written, has such wonderful characters and the plot kept me fully engaged to the end. Now I sit, with some sadness as the story ends, yet feeling enriched as Luanne Rice took me to places I had never been before.
This is essentially a love story. Yes, there is a romantic love story, but really it is a bigger love story. The love of parent for child, and child for parent. The love of ordinary people who see injustice and quietly do something to right the wrongs - and in so doing tug at harder hearts. It is also the love for family. It is a story of compassion, courage and hope.
To me it was a story of contrasts. The contrast of wealth and poverty, American and Mexican, compassion and cruelty, intimate and unconditional love and love that is not willing to be fully open and trusting of another.
Julia and Roberto are drawn together as they have both experienced the loss of a child. The lengths they are prepared to go to grow in their love tugged at my heart. So many other wonderful characters - Jack who has worked for many years as an immigration officer on the border hunting illegal immigrants, and his wonderful wife Louella. Lion, an elderly actor, so human and while he has chosen his way I could not help but feel for him. Rosa the daughter of Roberto, so resilient and courageous, too young to have to face the cruelties of the desert. And I just have to mention Bonnie, the dog who just adds that touch of love of human for animal and animal for human.
Living in a completely different part of the world to where this story is set, I had not realised the plight of the Mexican people and the many lives lost as they have tried to cross into America and the hope of a better life. At times I sat reading and frowning with consternation. Sometimes in my life I have been turned off by people who spout social justice. A story well told, as this one is, far surpasses any social justice person on a soap box.
I loved the settings - the sensory details that Luanne Rice includes, they enabled me to visualise the places, smell the smells and feel the heat. This book as it tells the story has a number of flashbacks. Normally I dislike them, however in this book Luanne Rice seamlessly integrates them, it is like this is exactly what is needed at this point.
This story will linger with me for a long while. I know that at some time in the future I intend to use a credit at Audible and listen to the audio of the story and savour it all over again.
July 1, 2013
4.5 stars.
This novel isn’t one that I would normally pick up for review, but I have heard lots of good things about Luanne Rice’s novels so I thought I would give it a try.
At first I was skeptical about the love story….an undocumented migrant worker and a wealthy educated American woman….??? It just didn’t seem like a realistic match for me, but I was blown away at how easily the relationship came together.
It wasn’t a story about how different they were, it was about what they had in common. It also wasn’t a story about two people being together forever, it was about how two people can change each other’s lives and what it means to meet your true soul mate.
It’s been said that a true soul mate might just be someone that comes into your life for a brief moment when you need them the most. They come into your life to show you things about yourself and change you, and that was how the relationship between Julia and Roberto played out…two soul mates.
I loved that this novel was different–not really a romance but not really a novel of self discovery. It was a novel of both blended together flawlessly. I really felt the tender friendship and love exchanged between both Julia and Roberto but it wasn’t about them necessarily, it was about themselves and a reawakening of their souls. Very tender and unique.
I really debated about what to rate this book. A large part of me wanted to rate it 5 stars, but I struggled with how quickly the novel ended. There was a lot of build up to the ending but for me it came together too quick.
The novel ended a little abruptly and I didn’t initially like how it ended but then I thought about it and didn’t feel like there was any other options, thus I decided it was a fitting ending and worked with the overall theme of the novel. I just had issues with the speed in which everything culminated.
Ultimately I went with 4.5 stars as my rating. It was a refreshing book to read, just like a tall glass of lemon aide on a warm summer day!
See my full review here
This novel isn’t one that I would normally pick up for review, but I have heard lots of good things about Luanne Rice’s novels so I thought I would give it a try.
At first I was skeptical about the love story….an undocumented migrant worker and a wealthy educated American woman….??? It just didn’t seem like a realistic match for me, but I was blown away at how easily the relationship came together.
It wasn’t a story about how different they were, it was about what they had in common. It also wasn’t a story about two people being together forever, it was about how two people can change each other’s lives and what it means to meet your true soul mate.
It’s been said that a true soul mate might just be someone that comes into your life for a brief moment when you need them the most. They come into your life to show you things about yourself and change you, and that was how the relationship between Julia and Roberto played out…two soul mates.
I loved that this novel was different–not really a romance but not really a novel of self discovery. It was a novel of both blended together flawlessly. I really felt the tender friendship and love exchanged between both Julia and Roberto but it wasn’t about them necessarily, it was about themselves and a reawakening of their souls. Very tender and unique.
I really debated about what to rate this book. A large part of me wanted to rate it 5 stars, but I struggled with how quickly the novel ended. There was a lot of build up to the ending but for me it came together too quick.
The novel ended a little abruptly and I didn’t initially like how it ended but then I thought about it and didn’t feel like there was any other options, thus I decided it was a fitting ending and worked with the overall theme of the novel. I just had issues with the speed in which everything culminated.
Ultimately I went with 4.5 stars as my rating. It was a refreshing book to read, just like a tall glass of lemon aide on a warm summer day!
See my full review here
July 2, 2013
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book at first but I am so glad that I did. It is a beautifully written story about two broken people finding each other and a way to heal the hurts in their hearts. The book starts off with a heartrending story and keeps the emotional level up through the rest of the book.
Julia is in California at her aunt and uncle’s lemon orchard house sitting for them while they are in Ireland. She is still mourning the loss of her daughter in a car accident five years before and living in body but not spirit. Her marriage was troubled at the time of the accident and the death of her husband in the same accident left Julia with a mix of grief and guilt. While at the orchard she meets Roberto, a migrant worker from Mexico who is in charge of the orchard’s workings. In Roberto she sees a kindred soul who has also had loss in his life. In an odd coincidence, his daughter was lost five years before at the same time as Julia’s daughter. Eventually the two share their stories and find themselves falling in love. As wonderful as it is for the two to find happiness in each other, it is an incomplete happiness because of their shared sense of loss.
Ms. Rice must have done an incredible amount of research in this book to so accurately portray the journey that Roberto went through coming from Mexico and the terrible thing that happened. When Julia becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of that awful journey, the reader finds themselves immersed in the immigration issue from a point of view that most of us never consider. Interestingly for me, the day I finished this book I watched a TV news magazine do a story that covered one of the type of groups that Julia goes to on her quest. I think the character of Julia is especially interesting because she finds happiness is prepared to sacrifice it all for the peace of mind of her lover and that she can find a measure of solace by doing so.
This is an excellent book that needs to be read when one has the time to really sit and read it and to get immersed in the story. I found it impossible to put down and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Julia is in California at her aunt and uncle’s lemon orchard house sitting for them while they are in Ireland. She is still mourning the loss of her daughter in a car accident five years before and living in body but not spirit. Her marriage was troubled at the time of the accident and the death of her husband in the same accident left Julia with a mix of grief and guilt. While at the orchard she meets Roberto, a migrant worker from Mexico who is in charge of the orchard’s workings. In Roberto she sees a kindred soul who has also had loss in his life. In an odd coincidence, his daughter was lost five years before at the same time as Julia’s daughter. Eventually the two share their stories and find themselves falling in love. As wonderful as it is for the two to find happiness in each other, it is an incomplete happiness because of their shared sense of loss.
Ms. Rice must have done an incredible amount of research in this book to so accurately portray the journey that Roberto went through coming from Mexico and the terrible thing that happened. When Julia becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of that awful journey, the reader finds themselves immersed in the immigration issue from a point of view that most of us never consider. Interestingly for me, the day I finished this book I watched a TV news magazine do a story that covered one of the type of groups that Julia goes to on her quest. I think the character of Julia is especially interesting because she finds happiness is prepared to sacrifice it all for the peace of mind of her lover and that she can find a measure of solace by doing so.
This is an excellent book that needs to be read when one has the time to really sit and read it and to get immersed in the story. I found it impossible to put down and thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 24, 2013
Luanne Rice has written another fantastic novel. In this book, Julia has returned to her uncle and aunt’s house with her dog Bonnie, while they are doing genealogical research in Italy to house sit. In the five years since her last visit, Julia’s life has been turned upside down by her husband’s and daughter’s death, from which she has barely begun to recover. At the orchard, she meets and is immediately attracted to Roberto, also grieving for his lost daughter, who oversees the orchard and who is sending money to his family in Mexico. Two kindred souls, agonizing over their respective losses, slowly develop a close relationship. But, just what can two people from such different lives have in common? Can they bridge the seemingly fathomless divide that separates them? Can they help each other heal from their losses? This story delves into the deepest areas of their souls, where each has hidden their own personal secrets, and bringing out their true selves. The story is well written, with emotional highs and lows as well as exciting twists and turns. Both Julia and Roberto are well developed characters, as are the other, minor characters with whom they interact. I was immediately drawn into the story and sped through the book, waiting for the next event or action to occur. This is one book that will stay on with me long after having finished it. The love of a parent for a child is a strong one and also lives on after one of the two involved has gone. This is Luanne Rice at her finest. I recommend you read this one if you are a Luanne Rice fan, as I am, for this is one of her best books. I was lucky enough to receive this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2015
The story is centers around 2 people mourning a loss of a child. Five years earlier Julia lost her daughter in a tragic car accident and at the same time Roberto lost his daughter illegally crossing the Mexican border in the Arizona dessert. When Julia agrees to house sit for her aunt and uncle on their sprawling lemon estate she encounters Roberto, lemon orchard manager. As their relationship grows, each shares their story of loss and sadness but now are finding some happiness with each other. Julia becomes determined to learn the final faith of Roberto’s daughter Rosa.
I have forgotten how much I love Luanne Rice’s writing – The Lemon Orchard is no exception. The Lemon Orchard is a heartrending and beautifully written novel – you can’t help to get emotionally involved with each characters pain and sadness yet having hope that they will find happiness.
Ms Rice does not shy aware from some difficult subjects; the death of a child and immigration laws – it certainly made me thinks about the later in a different light.
This was an audiobook and the narrator by Blair Brown who did an exceptional job bring the story to life. Highly recommend this book whether you read or list to it.
I have forgotten how much I love Luanne Rice’s writing – The Lemon Orchard is no exception. The Lemon Orchard is a heartrending and beautifully written novel – you can’t help to get emotionally involved with each characters pain and sadness yet having hope that they will find happiness.
Ms Rice does not shy aware from some difficult subjects; the death of a child and immigration laws – it certainly made me thinks about the later in a different light.
This was an audiobook and the narrator by Blair Brown who did an exceptional job bring the story to life. Highly recommend this book whether you read or list to it.
January 16, 2016
What a moving story! Two people brought together through fate only to realize how much they have in common and how they can rescue each other from the fragmented lives they are living.
Luanne Rice describes time, place and circumstances so perfectly that our minds can see in detail each cacti needle, grain of sand, and tear shed. I felt like I was there or at the very least watching a movie instead of reading a book. I was thirsty just reading Roberto and Rosa’s long journey through the desert and could smell the fires that were burning in the canyon.
The Lemon Orchard is a multifaceted story and very timely with a focus on immigration and what people do to provide the best lives possible for their family. Interwoven are losses of both Julia and Roberto with just a thread of hope. Their friendship turns romantic at the perfect pace.
I reached the last page way too quickly and can only hope and pray that some time in the future Rice will bless us with a sequel.
This is a book that shold be on everyone’s summer reading lists. An entertaining story that will make a lasting impression on everyone that reads it.
Luanne Rice describes time, place and circumstances so perfectly that our minds can see in detail each cacti needle, grain of sand, and tear shed. I felt like I was there or at the very least watching a movie instead of reading a book. I was thirsty just reading Roberto and Rosa’s long journey through the desert and could smell the fires that were burning in the canyon.
The Lemon Orchard is a multifaceted story and very timely with a focus on immigration and what people do to provide the best lives possible for their family. Interwoven are losses of both Julia and Roberto with just a thread of hope. Their friendship turns romantic at the perfect pace.
I reached the last page way too quickly and can only hope and pray that some time in the future Rice will bless us with a sequel.
This is a book that shold be on everyone’s summer reading lists. An entertaining story that will make a lasting impression on everyone that reads it.
August 31, 2013
Luanne Rice has long been one of my favorite Women's Fiction authors. From the very first page of THE LEMON ORCHARD, her lovely prose establishes a mood for the book that is tender and slightly melancholy, yet ultimately infused with hope. This was a beautiful and gentle story about a woman who falls in love with the Mexican immigrant who manages her uncle's orchard. Both Bonnie and Roberto have endured heartbreaking losses involving their daughters, which become easier to bear when they find each other. Given how "hot button" the topic of immigration is these days, it's also a very timely book that made me question some of my own perceptions of the issue without preaching or being "heavy-handed". Highly recommended!
January 11, 2014
What compelling and compassionate story. Once I started I couldn't put this book, and by the end there were tears in my eyes. I fell in love with the characters from the beginning. I haven't read a book from Luanne Rice in awhile, but this was my favorite book by far from her. A definite must read. A very inspiring story about losing someone and finding a way to grieve and move on.
August 11, 2016
I must say I absolutely love this author's work so far. I have read Little Night and this book, and I have 2 more on my shelf that I can't wait to get into. This book was a lovely journey of two heartbroken adults who had both lost heir children 5 years ago, and stumbled upon each other and helped one another through their grief.
I wish it had ended differently, but it was a great book overall.
I wish it had ended differently, but it was a great book overall.
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