THE ORCHARD by Peter Heller

This is my least favorite Peter Heller book, and it is not his usual adventure story.  In fact, it seems to be three characters in search of a plot, plus a slew of Chinese poetry.  This is just not my thing, although I love Heller’s writing style and his three lovable characters here, unencumbered by a storyline.  Frith and her mother, Hayley, have decamped to a remote Vermont cabin to live off the land and off the grid, although Hayley still translates ancient Chinese poetry as a side hustle to bring in some real money.  Otherwise, they are struggling to make ends meet by selling apples and maple syrup.  Rosie, a neighbor with a phone and the usual conveniences, becomes a welcome fixture at the cabin and sort of an adopted family member.  Firth narrates this story from her adult perspective as she reflects on her unconventional childhood.  I kept waiting for something to blow up this idyll, but what finally happens, although fairly monumental, isn’t sudden or unanticipated and doesn’t really disrupt the calm atmosphere of the novel to a significant degree.  I just needed more—a jolt of some sort or a trajectory toward something unexpected.