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| Lost Meridian Press 27 September 2025 My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book to review |
A DYING ORCHARD
A CARNAL SECRET
A BROTHER’S LAST STAND
Tragedy strikes a Northwest Arkansas orchard when a late spring frost destroys the apple crop. Faced with bankruptcy, Jesse Fitch prepares to leave the family farm with his wife and son. His identical twin brother, however, vows to stay and braces for a fight against anyone who tries to displace him. Before the family can split, tragedy strikes again, revealing a secret that forever binds the twins together. As one brother clashes with the other, stretching bloodlines to a breaking point, the ultimate survival of the Fitch clan is uncertain.
Like two trees planted in the same spot and reaching for the same light, the Fitch twins can no longer thrive together; one must fall to the axe.
📖My Review
I wasn’t aware of the apple growing orchards of North West Arkansas, nor of the devastation which was felt by the apple growing community in the early years of the twentieth century. This once thriving industry historically produced millions of tons of apples but, at the time of this story, the area is facing financial ruin due to bad harvests caused by fire blight and harsh frosts.
The Fitch family have toiled their apple orchards for many years but times are desperate and whilst Jesse can see the end is near, his twin brother Silas refuses to see reason, and with the bank about to foreclose on debts owed, Jesse sees that the only possibility is to cut their losses, pack up and leave their ancestral homeland. However, Silas has other plans which may well plunge the family into dangerous territory. The tension builds quite slowly, we get to know the main characters well and begin to understand their very different personalities. However, there is sense of impending doom as neither of the brother are quitters but when the chips are down there is only so much they can tolerate before they each reach breaking point, and with hidden family secrets threatening to surface, so the resentment between the brothers continues to fester.
Poignant and descriptive Arkansas Black brings to life the American history of ordinary folk who once toiled away, battling nature over nurture for little reward. It gives us an interesting slice of early American history, about a community of people facing real hardship, with no workable solution to ease their plight. Written with a fine eye for historical detail, Arkansas Black is well written historical fiction about a forgotten period in American history.
About the Author
Alexander Blevens is an Air Force veteran and a retired orthopaedic surgeon who lives and writes in Mississippi. Originally from California, he married a "New Orleans belle" and developed a keen eye for all things Southern.
X@adblevens #ArkansasBlack
Instagram @adblevens
@lostmeridianpress.bsky.social
Happy to see such a positive review of Alex Blevins latest work. I was impressed with research and authenticity of Bycatch. I am anticipating an equally enthralling tale in Arkansas Black.
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