The Rock Orchard

How it reads

The Rock Orchard is contemporary fiction (southern family fiction, specifically), and its dominant mood is heartwarming. It's kind, generous and emotionally satisfying. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in a rural setting, in the present day, told in the third person, staying close to one character. Its central concerns are family, love and friendship. In weight it's light and escapist — easy to fall into.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending resolves happily. At 244 pages it's a quick read. It's a hidden gem — known to relatively few readers.