The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader (Review by Madhura Mukhopadhyay)

Rating: 5/5

Fleeing a dangerous man, Hope and her daughter Tink find themselves on the road with nowhere to go. Desperate for safety and succor, Hope heads towards their ancestral cherry farm in Northern Michigan that she vaguely recollects from her mother’s stories. Once at the farm, she meets her shotgun-wielding aunt Peg. A grumpy old lady, Peg begrudgingly offers them a bed at Orchard House for the duration of cherry season in exchange for help on the farm.

Simply and exquisitely written, the book has alternating points of view of the three women at the Orchard House. In spite of the quaint, old world atmosphere this book creates, it also deals with some severe issues. The idyllic life that Hope and Tink settle into is constantly marred by their fear that their past might catch up to them. It was rewarding to read well-written, flawed female characters who can solve their own problems without turning into damsels-in-distress. This, in particular is in my view, the book’s greatest win.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is a story about all the odds and ends that make up a family. As cherry season plies its charm on all the occupants of Orchard House, Peg and Hope cautiously begin trusting each other, little knowing that their history is shrouded in secrets. Of course, as with any secret, it refuses to stay buried for long.

One of my most favorite things about this book was the author’s beautiful imagery of the charming farmhouse in different seasons. As cherry season melts into apple season, Hope, Tink and Peg each find that asking for help is simultaneously the hardest and the easiest thing to do. In all, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is a sweet, heart-warming family drama that is going to give you all the feels.