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Orchid House
Love in a foreign land. A decaying hacienda full of secrets. And a woman searching for the story of her life.
A funeral and some family business--that's what Julia Bentley expects when she travels to the Philippines to bury her grandfather. She hopes for a brief adventure, a distraction from her most recent failed relationship and her loose-ends California life. Maybe even a chance to meet some distant relatives she's never known.
Instead, she discovers a place where past and present, Spanish and Asian, primitive and civilized mingle in a melange as spicy and colorful as the paella her relatives dish up for special occasions. A place where some children hitch rides on cattle and others wield loaded guns. Where guerillas lurk in the jungle, and volcanoes and governments are threatened to blow. Where stories haunt her ancestral home--the grand but decaying Hacienda Esperanza, Plantation of Hope--and danger lurks behind every tree. Love and orchids bloom in places she never thought to look.
How can a land so foreign, and so troubled, fill her with a strange peace? And would staying mean risking her life . . . or finding it at last?
A funeral and some family business--that's what Julia Bentley expects when she travels to the Philippines to bury her grandfather. She hopes for a brief adventure, a distraction from her most recent failed relationship and her loose-ends California life. Maybe even a chance to meet some distant relatives she's never known.
Instead, she discovers a place where past and present, Spanish and Asian, primitive and civilized mingle in a melange as spicy and colorful as the paella her relatives dish up for special occasions. A place where some children hitch rides on cattle and others wield loaded guns. Where guerillas lurk in the jungle, and volcanoes and governments are threatened to blow. Where stories haunt her ancestral home--the grand but decaying Hacienda Esperanza, Plantation of Hope--and danger lurks behind every tree. Love and orchids bloom in places she never thought to look.
How can a land so foreign, and so troubled, fill her with a strange peace? And would staying mean risking her life . . . or finding it at last?
332 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2008
12 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Martinusen Coloma
19 books177 followersCindy Coloma is a national bestselling author who has written twelve novels, including: Beautiful (2010 Christy Award finalist for Young Adults and 2011 Revolve Young Adult Tour featured book); The Salt Garden (one of Library Journal's best genre books in 2004); Song of the Brokenhearted (2013 ECPA bestseller with coauthor Sheila Walsh); Orchid House (2008 ECPA bestseller); and Winter Passing (2001 Christy Award finalist and Romantic Times Top Pick).
Cindy has collaborated on fiction projects with bestselling author, singer, and speaker Sheila Walsh, and as a ghostwriter with a former federal prosecutor and national TV legal-news analyst.
Her nonfiction projects include collaborations on memoirs such as The Waiting (May 2014, Tyndale Momentum) and It's a Wild Life: How My Life Became a Zoo(June 2014, Medallion Press), a book about an exotic animal zoo in Michigan and the Nat Geo Wild television program. Cindy developed and wrote the nonfiction book Renting Lacy: A Story of America's Prostituted Children (coauthored with former Congresswoman Linda Smith) and has also written over one hundred published articles.
Cindy is a speaker, book doctor, and writing coach. Her writing coach clients have included both aspiring and professional writers. She tailors her programs to meet their individual needs and goals.
She's spoken at such events and conferences as the World Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany; Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference; Simpson University Faculty Retreat; LittWorld in Tagaytay, Philippines; and many others. In her local area, she has co-led a writer's group for seventeen years.
With five children ranging in age from their early twenties to a baby boy, Cindy's life is always full of laughter, joy, and toys to trip over. She can't own enough books or watch enough movies, has more travel dreams than possible for a human (including underwater and outer-space itineraries), but loves home best of all. She and her extended family have lived in the Redding, California area for over thirty-five years. a with her husband and four children
Cindy has collaborated on fiction projects with bestselling author, singer, and speaker Sheila Walsh, and as a ghostwriter with a former federal prosecutor and national TV legal-news analyst.
Her nonfiction projects include collaborations on memoirs such as The Waiting (May 2014, Tyndale Momentum) and It's a Wild Life: How My Life Became a Zoo(June 2014, Medallion Press), a book about an exotic animal zoo in Michigan and the Nat Geo Wild television program. Cindy developed and wrote the nonfiction book Renting Lacy: A Story of America's Prostituted Children (coauthored with former Congresswoman Linda Smith) and has also written over one hundred published articles.
Cindy is a speaker, book doctor, and writing coach. Her writing coach clients have included both aspiring and professional writers. She tailors her programs to meet their individual needs and goals.
She's spoken at such events and conferences as the World Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany; Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference; Simpson University Faculty Retreat; LittWorld in Tagaytay, Philippines; and many others. In her local area, she has co-led a writer's group for seventeen years.
With five children ranging in age from their early twenties to a baby boy, Cindy's life is always full of laughter, joy, and toys to trip over. She can't own enough books or watch enough movies, has more travel dreams than possible for a human (including underwater and outer-space itineraries), but loves home best of all. She and her extended family have lived in the Redding, California area for over thirty-five years. a with her husband and four children
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 1, 2014
This was a fantastic book. The plot was a good skeleton of the story. Learning about the culture and history of the Philippines was extremely enlightening. I worked with a couple of nurses who were from the Philippines and they were smart, attractive and great to work with. The tragedy of the history during and after WWII was good to learn. My dad was in the Philippines for a short time during that war. During the time period after Marcos exile Julia leaves San Francisco for the Philippines to be there when her grandfather's body is transferred to his burial on his historical family property. Lawyer Marcus is her resource. Manalo is the native communist leader who gives us a look at the different groups of communists who are trying to work together to overtake the government and chase the foreigners out of their country. Meeting the three Lolas who share the history of the family with Julia and the children who are guarding her is a whole new concept of family extension.
July 28, 2013
this is a beautiful story that unfolds with every petal of God's journey for her, this is a beautifully woven story and it is on my top list of books people should read!
a collaboration of culture, love, &history...and ultimately God's purpose/path for her
don't judge a book by its cover;)♥
a collaboration of culture, love, &history...and ultimately God's purpose/path for her
don't judge a book by its cover;)♥
August 1, 2013
Cindy Martinusin Coloma crafts a seven-course meal that is beautiful to the eye and satisfying to the spirit. Rich, almost lyrical, prose transport the reader to a foreign land and culture. A joy to read.
May 11, 2013
Great story and description of what life is like in another country. Very eye opening about what life is like outside the comfort of the United States.
June 21, 2017
San Francisco girl whose grandfather from the Philippines dies goes there to bury him and falls in love with the place and a marries a man there. It was a sweet enough story, although plausible, but just wasn't interesting to me.
May 18, 2019
I had hoped for better, but reading about the history and culture in the Philippines was interesting.
July 2, 2020
Good book.
June 19, 2022
very rich in filipino culture and history!!! ♡
September 25, 2016
A Christy Award finalist. Interesting read about one side of the Philipines presidental and political struggles through the owner of a large estate. Predictable, but an easy read, moves along, some good descriptive areas of idealized family life.
Amazon synopsis:
Love in a foreign land. A decaying hacienda full of secrets. And a woman searching for the story of her life. A funeral and some family business--that's what Julia Bentley expects when she travels to the Philippines to bury her grandfather. She hopes for a brief adventure, a distraction from her most recent failed relationship and her loose-ends California life. Maybe even a chance to meet some distant relatives she's never known.
Instead, she discovers a place where past and present, Spanish and Asian, primitive and civilized mingle in a melange as spicy and colorful as the paella her relatives dish up for special occasions. A place where some children hitch rides on cattle and others wield loaded guns. Where guerillas lurk in the jungle, and volcanoes and governments are threatened to blow. Where stories haunt her ancestral home--the grand but decaying Hacienda Esperanza, Plantation of Hope--and danger lurks behind every tree. Love and orchids bloom in places she never thought to look.
How can a land so foreign, and so troubled, fill her with a strange peace? And would staying mean risking her life . . . or finding it at last?
Amazon synopsis:
Love in a foreign land. A decaying hacienda full of secrets. And a woman searching for the story of her life. A funeral and some family business--that's what Julia Bentley expects when she travels to the Philippines to bury her grandfather. She hopes for a brief adventure, a distraction from her most recent failed relationship and her loose-ends California life. Maybe even a chance to meet some distant relatives she's never known.
Instead, she discovers a place where past and present, Spanish and Asian, primitive and civilized mingle in a melange as spicy and colorful as the paella her relatives dish up for special occasions. A place where some children hitch rides on cattle and others wield loaded guns. Where guerillas lurk in the jungle, and volcanoes and governments are threatened to blow. Where stories haunt her ancestral home--the grand but decaying Hacienda Esperanza, Plantation of Hope--and danger lurks behind every tree. Love and orchids bloom in places she never thought to look.
How can a land so foreign, and so troubled, fill her with a strange peace? And would staying mean risking her life . . . or finding it at last?
December 29, 2015
I want to clarify from the beginning that I don't think this book was bad or poorly written. It simply wasn't a book for me. It was really hard for me to stay focused and excited about reading this novel, which is why it took me significantly longer to read than most books normally do. I like the premise of the book; the idea that a family history extends infinitely between ancestors and future family. I have always been one who has firm roots in family and I could really connect with Julia.
One thing that distracted from my enjoyment of this book were all of the different names and different stories that were occurring throughout. Part of this may be due to the fact that I wasn't as focused as I usually was. Towards the end of the book I was forcing myself to keep reading just so that I could finish the book and continue on to the next book in my pile to read.
Overall, not a horrible book, but I currently have no desire to read it again.
One thing that distracted from my enjoyment of this book were all of the different names and different stories that were occurring throughout. Part of this may be due to the fact that I wasn't as focused as I usually was. Towards the end of the book I was forcing myself to keep reading just so that I could finish the book and continue on to the next book in my pile to read.
Overall, not a horrible book, but I currently have no desire to read it again.
January 16, 2011
A pleasant tale, that transports you to a land rich in cultural nuances, folklore and entertaining family stories. Being married to a Filipino, I appreciated the setting greatly, and the author writes with a genuine sense of authenticity that flows through the story.
Plot-wise, the transformation of the protagonist as she overcomes hurdles is heartwarming, as is the relationships and the connections that develop between the characters. The only criticism is that I felt that the book attempts to but doesn't really succeed in building suspense. The allusions to danger throughout seemed disconnected from the heroine's reality, and the big climax I was expecting didn't really carry much punch. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it reading it.
Plot-wise, the transformation of the protagonist as she overcomes hurdles is heartwarming, as is the relationships and the connections that develop between the characters. The only criticism is that I felt that the book attempts to but doesn't really succeed in building suspense. The allusions to danger throughout seemed disconnected from the heroine's reality, and the big climax I was expecting didn't really carry much punch. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it reading it.
August 5, 2008
I loved this book because of my family dynamics. Two of my adult children are from the Philippines. I had a wonderful time discussing the culture and environment described in the book and learning new Tagalog words. The character of Emman was an eerie reminder of what the life of my kids was like when they were young. The story itself was not as engaging as I had hoped. I felt the climax of the story came and went so fast that I almost missed it. For a first novel I thought,it was well researched and the characters were likable and fairly well developed. I would probably give this author another try.
October 18, 2013
As a Filipino, I was naturally drawn to the cultural aspects of the book. Knowing beforehand its connection with the Philippines, I force myself to read it as if I am not Filipino because I was curious to see how the author connects with the western mindset. I was impressed with her ability to share cultural elements about the Philippines and its people. No doubt, her research was extensive. As a Filipino, I enjoyed her story about a lady's journey to the Philippines to bury her grandfather mainly because it wove Philippine history into its fabric. It is well written, especially for someone not Filipino.
December 8, 2019
Orchid House was not a disappointment at all. I was looking forward to reading a book by Cindy Martinusen, devoured this one and ordered more. The setting of this story is in the Philipines, which was foreign to me, but told in such detail that I felt comfortable there, and grew quite fond of the filipino characters. The main character inherited a hacienda and with it came a large variety of relatives she didn't know she had. She learns to love this home and this new country. I highly recommend this story.
March 13, 2008
This novel is set in the Philippines. It has a lot of referencing to the political history of the country and I felt like I learned a great deal about the turmoil there. The story has many interesting, albeit perhaps over-simplified, characters. It also has some Christian themes woven throughout including the theme of 'redemption.' I enjoyed it.
July 10, 2010
I enjoyed this book. It was a clean read with no swearing and only a little violence. It followed the lives of 3 people and was written in short sections that made it easy to read for 10 minutes and not for hours because there were convenient stopping points. It was predictable, though still captivating.
September 3, 2014
Not my usual kind of book. There was a lot of history of the Philippines. The struggle of a woman to understand the long standing traditions of her Philippine history and reconcile it with her success of her career . Good read, learned a lot. Probably won't read another book of hers- it's just not what I enjoy to read.
August 18, 2008
I took an entire course on Caribbean literature and found this gem. Its a really wonderful book that lets you peak into the world of island living and all the mysterious and magical things waiting there.
September 25, 2010
I enjoyed learning more about the Philippines and some of the social and economic systems identified in the book. The storyline was mainly simple girl travels to new country and finds herself and the man of her dreams.
April 23, 2012
Julia escorts her grandfather's body to the Phillipines, to be buried at the family hacienda. She expects to return to San Francisco soon after the funeral. But Hacienda Esperanza and the people there have other ideas for her.
April 14, 2008
This one was just okay for me. While the narratives about the Philippines are wonderful, I felt the characters were never fully developed. There were too many story lines and not enough details.
December 30, 2008
Just starting, hoping it is more enjoyable than the last book I read!!!
March 25, 2009
The plot line was a bit hard to believe, but the book is still entertaining.
August 12, 2010
The story isn't amazing, but this book does a really good job of describing an American expat's experience of moving to Metro Manila.
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March 3, 2011I liked getting a peak into a different country and what it would be like to live/visit. Found the facts about the war and post war interesting.
December 16, 2010
Thoughtful, heartwarming, exciting.
August 22, 2012
Wondeful book. I loved the romance and history all woven together.
August 31, 2012
Good book although a bit slow moving in parts. Worthwhile to read to the end for the love story that warms your heart.
April 30, 2014
A bit simplistic and not very well-written.
May 17, 2014
A little bit of fluff.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews