Review: The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert

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☆☆➹⁀☆ 3.5 stars☆➹⁀☆☆

What it’s about:

Fall in love with The Simplicity of Cider, the charming new novel about a prickly but gifted cider-maker whose quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of a handsome man and his young son at her family’s careworn orchard by the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie.

Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.

Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.

From the warm and funny Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider is a charming love story with a touch of magic, perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Gayle Forman.

My Thoughts:

The Simplicity of Cider by Amy Reichert is a tale of a family tied to and torn apart by its long, strong ties to their land.

Ms. Reichert chose the idyllic Door County, Wisconsin as the setting for her latest book. Door County is known throughout the state for its beauty. It is a popular, rural escape for urban and suburban dwellers from all over the state. The descriptions of the Lund farm and its operations are as crisp and delicious as any apply you’d find at a farm stand. The detailed account of daily life transported me to the farm. From tending trees to pressing cider, I felt that I was a part of the action. The few magical aspects of the story were cute little spot lights on the secondary love story.

The Simplicity of Cider is primarily about the hardships of making a living as a farmer and how that can impact a family. Patriarch Einers has sacrificed a lot because of his strong ties to his apple orchards. His daughter, Sanna, has the same connection to the land and its heritage. However, she seems to use the daily demands of the farm as a way to avoid people. After all, people can abandon you and break your heart, and apple trees cannot. Enter Isaac Banks and his son, Bass, whose summer adventure lands them on the Lund’s farm. The interactions between the Banks and the Lunds renew all their interest in life, love, and overcoming life’s challenges and disappointments. They transform from sad and complacent to joyful and hopeful. Like and orchard in spring time, Sanna blossoms. She opens up to change and help from friends, family and new acquaintances.

From the daily grind of making a living off the land, to devilish dealings with money-hungry neighbors and relatives, The Simplicity of Cider relates that it takes an open mind, the help of good people, and a little magic to find love and follow your dream.