Carson Valley: A novel

by Bill Barich

A richly drawn novel of love, loss and redemption by the author of Big Dreams. Since 1893, the Torelli clan has owned 100 vineyard acres in Carson Valley, California, but the traditions tying them to the land are now in flux. Returning to her family home, Anna Torelli is filled with an emotional awakening as she embarks upon an affair of the heart. 352 pp. Author readings. 30,000 print.

Genres: Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 1997

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

When it comes to describing the Sonoma wine country--the seasons, the wine industry, the connection between the people and the land, the birds, plants, etc.--this author does a good job.

But the characters are not fully developed, drawing from stereotypes, I felt. Also, the plot is sooooooooo predictable.

[Everett Egginton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful captivating novel. A joy to read. Hard to put down. Captures the tangled emotions of love in a touching and believable way. Moreover, his attention to detail is extraordinary, especially, but not exclusively, in his descriptions of the intricate and delicate procedures of growing wine grapes.

[Kathleen Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was staying at an old 1930's lodge at Lake Tahoe in August 2015, I found this book on the dusty old bookcase and picked it up to read. Perfect! Someone else wrote the review below, so I borrowed their notes on it. It sums it up well.

"A richly drawn novel of love, loss and redemption by the author of Big Dreams. Since 1893, the Torelli clan has owned 100 vineyard acres in Carson Valley, California, but the traditions tying them to the land are now in flux. Returning to her family home, Anna Torelli is filled with an emotional awakening as she embarks upon an affair of the heart."

[Caitlin Mercado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this out of impulse. Unfortunately, I put off reading it for quite sometime because that was just how immature of a reader I was back then. But when I did find it in my book collection again, I read it. It was a well-written novel, with all the back stories and emotions well strung together to form such a story. I loved the ending, however, Barich would have done a better job by ending it with a more detailed ending.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Carson Valley" - written by Bill Barich and published in 1997 by Pantheon. A pleasant wine country romance.