The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill is the slowest of slow-burn romances about a woman who finds the diary of her great-grandmother and through reading it discovers herself.
Madilyn Marak agrees to stay with her grandfather at the family estate after the death of her grandmother. She is a reluctant heiress to the Marak fortune and her grandfather spends time with her preparing her to take over from him.
One night she discovers a diary that details a love affair that took place in the summer of 1933 between her great-grandmother, Isabel, and a shoe saleswoman named Lorah. The story inspires her to return the family orchard to its former glory and she hires someone to take on the project.
Dylan Hayes is not nearly as qualified as some of the other applicants but there is something about her that makes Madilyn take a chance.
Together the women embark on a project of restoring the apple orchard and in the process they discover their own love story.
Writing
Gerri Hill writes well and the story was easy to follow.
I would have liked a more immersive experience with the diary, it was relatively brief in the grand scheme of things even though it had a big impact on the life of the main character. One of the things I enjoy about stories like this is occupying both timelines but I didn’t feel like I really got to do that.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
It’s the kind of book you can sink into. You can just pick it up on a lazy afternoon and immerse yourself in the world. And while there were sad and happy moments it was still a relatively gentle read.
Heads Up
Maddy deals with loss and there is a theme of losing family that weaves through the book but it’s never overwhelmingly sad.
The Conclusion
This romance is so slow burn that it is almost literary fiction more than romance. Only the last third or so of the book is any kind of romance. It’s much more a story of Maddy discovering herself.
At about 368 pages on kindle and 304 pages in print it’s a biggish romance book which will appeal to those who read fast and enjoy the immersive experience of existing in a character’s world for a while. And it’s perfect for those looking for a really gentle read with the theme of finding oneself or coming out.
Excerpt from The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill
I haven’t written in a while because I haven’t known what to say. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve been afraid to say it. Lorah comes by every day now. I no longer worry about what Hattie and the others think or whether they’ll tell James about her when he returns. There’s nothing wrong with me having a friend. Besides, Lorah has completely charmed Hattie. So much so that Hattie made up a mess of gingersnap cookies for her yesterday. The problem is, Lorah has completely charmed me as well. I think about her constantly when she’s not here and when she is, I just want to go off with her and sit and talk and be close to her and look into her eyes. That scares me. Because I feel things when I’m near her. I think she does too. Whatever in the world is wrong with me?
Oh, poor Isabel, she thought.
Lorah surprised me by showing up for breakfast! Hattie didn’t mind in the least and whipped up a meal for the both of us. What did surprise me (and Hattie) was Lorah’s suggestion that we eat outside on the porch to enjoy the sunshine. Before I knew what was happening, Hattie had the girls bring a table and two chairs out to the side porch. And what a feast it was! Fresh eggs and bacon, Dora’s biscuits and jam (she is Hattie’s mother), and an extra pot of coffee. It was a glorious morning and Lorah said the sweetest thing to me. She said the main reason she wanted to eat outside was because my eyes turn a deeper blue when out. Then she told me how much she enjoyed looking into them. Oh, my heart surely did flutter so in my chest. But she had to leave shortly after our meal. She said she was heading north, all the way to Morgantown. There was a new merchant there who wanted to take a look at some of her inventory. She seemed excited that he might buy some shoes from her to sell in his store. She doesn’t know how long she’ll be gone. Several days, to be sure. I’ll miss her. But she left me with a long, tight hug that I still can’t quite shake. It made me tingle all the way to my toes.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1642474985
Publisher: Bella Books
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