At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier | Summary & Analysis

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At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier tells the story of the Goodenough family. The year is 1838, and James and Sadie Goodenough are fighting about apple trees again. The couple has lived for nine years in Ohio’s Black Swamp, a dank, moldy, muddy place where it’s difficult to farm and live. When the two arrived from Connecticut, they had to build a cabin and clear the entire plot.

James and Sadie are struggling. Their closest neighbors are miles away. They are in debt. They no longer feel tenderly towards each other. Almost every year they have lost a child to swamp fever, an illness caused by mosquitoes. Only five of their 10 children remain: Robert, Martha, Sal, Caleb, and Nathan.

The couple is fighting because James wants to graft 10 “spitter” trees into “eater” trees, to produce apples for eating rather than for making applejack spirits…

PLEASE NOTE: This is summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.

Inside this Instaread Summary of At the Edge of the Orchard:

Summary of the Book

Important People

Character Analysis

Analysis of the Themes and Author’s Style

About the Author

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