BOOK REVIEW: Heartbreak, hope and forbidden romance on a Maine orchard
By Michelle Beckwith
Grafting by Rylan Hynes is a novel of heartbreak, healing, and hope on a generational orchard and is laser-focused on understanding the humanity of each and every character. In the early 2000s, Chris Hartley, a pastor’s son, had just arrived in Spaulding, Maine. When he meets Eben Turner, who lives on his family’s orchard, the reader is set forth on a journey of these two teenage boys in a place reluctant to make space for them. After a forbidden romance takes root, Eben sets off to escape danger in his present and ghosts from his past, eventually returning to the place holding the absolute best and worst memories.
The novel is divided into key elements of actual grafting, perfectly structuring the messaging of how the tenuous nature of joining two trees might result in something stronger and uniquely beautiful. The dual perspectives of the young men are joined by an additional character: the orchard landscape itself.
Romantic scenes are presented with a light, careful touch, but readers should be aware of two abuse scenes, which are quite brief. These could easily be sped through, but they provide pivotal context to the overall story. A fictional beloved American artist and how he brings to life the complex and brutal reality of rural farming is perhaps my favorite part of my reading experience, layering insight into a world of love, loss, and growth we can all relate to.
“But, love, like farming, is not a problem to be solved. All it is, just like grafting, is a process that takes time.”
I’m excited to share this book, which perfectly describes how we can survive the ebb and flow of changing seasons, knowing that storms lurk on the horizon.
—Michelle Beckwith reviews books of various genres and especially enjoys titles set in Maine. Her reviews from the past five years are posted on her Instagram page @bookshelfbybeckwith. She and her husband Jeff live in Blue Hill.
