Oh my! What a story! The Orchard House is a dual timeline story. Johanna is a friend of Louisa May Alcott's who worked for Louisa and her family at the Orchard House and Taylor is the current day main character who has been adopted by the Bennett's, grew up close to The Orchard House, and has struggled with feeling like she belonged anywhere.
Taylor and Victoria were best friends who became sisters and stayed best friends until betrayal sent Taylor running. Now, 16 years later, she has been summoned back to Concord and she is unsure what she will find there.
I don't want to give away more of a spoiler, so let's just say that Taylor learns a lot of important lessons, as does Victoria and some of these lessons come as they study the life of this fictional character of Johanna. They learn lessons about forgiveness, family, and most of all faith in God.
It should be noted that there are elements of domestic abuse that are portrayed in this story and while not terribly graphic, it is there and the pain is real.
I like the insights it gave into Louisa May Alcott's life, including actual quotes from her at the start of every chapter. It makes me want to go read Little Women and the other books that go with it.
"I am talking about a bigger place to belong - in the arms of One who not only tells me not to fear, but who, in the midst of my failures, has loved me and given me a worth beyond measure. In this, I find both liberty and home - two things I thought were opposites, but now I see are not so very different." from Johanna's side of the story.
I loved this book. I received this book from Tyndale via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Due to a lack of faith and some questionable content I am not finishing reading this one. If you would like to know more about why I will not read The Orchard House check out Kristina Hall's review on Goodreads.

The Orchard House is a captivating time-slip story by Heidi Chiavaroli. I've not read much of her work so was not sure what to expect but The Orchard House held my attention from beginning to end. It is a story of relationships--friends, sisters, significant others, husbands, mothers and how one goes about loving oneself enough to be able to trust and grow in those relationships. It is a dual-time story and gives an interesting fictional account of Joanna's friendship with Louisa Mae Alcott and how that relationship is able to help mend broken hearts many decades later. Chiavaroli knows how to tell a beautiful story that blends history with heart and hope. I look forward to reading more of this author's work. I listened to an audiobook from the library and was not required to write a review. Brittany Goodwin did a great job narrating Taylor and Victoria's story which made for an entertaining listening experience. The opinions are my own.

This book is split into two stories playing out: a modern story and a historical one. Both correlate back to famous American author, Louisa May Alcott, of Little Women fame.

I truly enjoyed seeing Johanna Suhre's story take place in the 1860s. Watching Louisa's life as a friend might, I felt as though I was truly there. Louisa's character seems so real, raw, and authentic.

Taylor's story intertwines with Johanna's, even while being spaced apart by about 150 years. Her life is messy and complicated in every type of relationship she has, whether with her boyfriend or her family. Maybe a new discovery at Orchard House, birthplace of the beloved novel Little Women, will help untangle some of those complications.

This book deals with hard topics such as infidelity and unfaithfulness. I'm glad the book is still considered Christian fiction, or else I probably would have set the book aside. Still, I actually wanted a bit more inspirational and religious content from this book than what I got.

Recommended for: Adults & Teens
Suitable for: Ages 14 & up

This is a story of sisters and friends, betrayal and hurt, and finally forgiveness and reconciliation. I spent a lovely night absorbed with this book and the lives of these women who learn to trust and love again. I have always been a fan of Louisa May Alcott so the story line with her in it added much to my enjoyment.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 9 February 2021.

I enjoyed this story though I found it quite different from Heidi Chiavaroli's other books. It didn't have the excitement which comes from being set during a war but instead had a steady pace of sweet small town drama. However the truths were just as profound and the emotions just as deep as ever. It was super interesting to read and learn more about the life of Louisa May Alcott and the impact her life had on others. While not my favourite book of hers, still a great read and would highly recommend to others!

Another masterpiece by Heidi Chiavaroli. Beautifully written. Perfectly blending the past w/ the present. Excellent character development. Heartwarming. Five stars.

This is a very moving, well-written story. The author seamlessly guides the reader between two time periods and each story enhances the other. We get to see the two main characters, Taylor and Victoria, mature and change during a sixteen year span. I liked the theme of forgiveness, because in granting that forgiveness, both Taylor and Victoria found hope. There’s some difficult moments in this story, especially the ones that mention spousal abuse. Nothing is ever graphically described, but if this is a trigger for you, you may want to consider that before you read this book. There’s a theme of faith in this story, which is more noticeable towards the end of the book. But that’s part of the journey of these characters, and I understand why the author led the story in this direction.

If you are familiar with “Little Women” and Louisa May Alcott, you’ll enjoy that aspect of this book; if you are not, you’ll still be moved by the story of Taylor and Victoria. This is another good book by this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Oh my. What a great book. This is the second book I have read by Heidi. She is really a brilliant writer. She just punches the reader in the gut with the surprises she places in her books.

Not only did I enjoy reading this book it also reminded my why I love to write. Not that I have been doing it at all. But after reading this I am inspired to get back to the laptop and write.

Don’t worry if you aren’t overly familiar with Louisa May Alcott. Although, I obviously know she wrote Little Women I didn’t know much else about her. That didn’t take away from the book, which I was concerned it might.

If you haven’t given Heidi’s book a read yet I recommend you do.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

DNF 40% (skim-read past 25%). I don't know if it's time-slip or just the general vibe of the story or the "mystical when it's not really mystical" vibe ... and I'd read that some friends had moral issues with the story, so I was already skeptical. Suffice to say, this novel didn't work out for me, and I decided to discontinue its acquaintance after giving it what I consider to be a good try. That said, my opinion should not really be regarded since I probably didn't give it enough of a chance!

Little Women is my absolute, hands down most favorite novel ever. So I knew The Orchard House was going to be a huge hit for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this time slip novel.

The relationship between the two best friends Taylor and Victoria was very heartwarming and I equally liked the friendship between Louisa and Johanna. Johanna takes a job in Concord helping Louisa’s aging parents. Shortly after arriving at Orchard House Johanna meets Nathan Bancroft. Johanna falls in love with him and accepts his proposal, brushing aside Louisa’s warnings of him. The story of the happenings in their lives was believable and completely realistic. This is a story of the past, present and future generations, the importance of friendship and family and the need for forgiveness.

I loved the dual timeline, and the way the author merged them together was so amazing. The flow ness of the stories was both enthralling and entertaining. The characters were well developed and the way the author transports you to not only 1865 but makes you feel like you are actually in Concord, Massachusetts. Well done Heidi Chiavaroli, this book was an extraordinary read and I highly recommend it.

The Orchard House by Heidi Chiavaroli is time slip fiction drawing from the life of Louisa May Alcott. It's the story of two foster sisters whose relationship is broken but forced to confront their past when their mother becomes ill. In the past, while watching after Louisa Alcott's parents at Orchard House, Johanna Suhre falls in love and enters an abusive marriage. All the women are strong and powerful, and Chiavaroli does an excellent job showing Alcott's sharp tongue and business acumen. Chiavaroli's dialogue and masterful storytelling make this book a must read and shows the power of forgiveness.

The Orchard House is a lovely read set in three time periods - 1865, 2001, and present day. It is the story of friends Taylor and Victoria who spend a summer at camp at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, and Louisa May Alcott herself with her friend Johanna.

I wanted to read this book because I am a lifelong Louisa May Alcott fan. I loved the glimpses of her life in this book, and the way she influenced the lives of others (2001 and present day). The author does a wonderful job at juggling various time periods and different perspectives.

I recommend The Orchard House for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in Louisa May Alcott's life and work.

I discovered Louisa May Alcott when I was a young mother and received my first e-reader. I downloaded a ton of books that I’d always wanted to read but couldn’t afford to buy. The convenience of the e-reader meant I didn’t have to read them under a deadline for the library.

I downloaded everything LMA wrote and fell in love with Little Women. I read several other of her books and enjoyed them as well. Although this isn’t a biography of LMA, I did enjoy learning more about her, although a lot of what I learned wasn’t cheerful. I enjoyed this book for the multiple time lines, the letters, the reconciliations after such painful betrayals, and how the characters incorporated their faith into solving their problems. It left me thinking about several points in my own life, for which I am thankful.

I gratefully received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is the first book that I have read by Heidi Chiavaroli and I had heard great things about it, so I wanted to love it. I was immediately drawn into Taylor and Victoria's story. Since I have been a foster parent as well, I had an inkling of the things that Lorraine struggled with.
I love the beautifully designed cover of the book and thought it was interesting that the story covered three time periods. I had not read one written like that before. I felt that the book started slowly and I got bogged down in the middle and I didn't love the ending.
There are a few things I really enjoyed in the book. I loved Taylor and Victoria's friendship. I enjoyed learning things about Louisa May Alcott and I enjoyed her spunk for the time period. The book was well-written and meticulously edited, but it was a miss for me.
I found the book to be extremely heavy. The physical and emotional abuse was hard to deal with, even though they were written respectably. There were a few scenarios that I did not agree with (not going to say because of spoilers), but those elements could have easily been left out of the story.
While this was not a story for me, I recognize that if I had read it at a different point I might have enjoyed it more. I know that fans of historical fiction, women's fiction, and light romance will enjoy this novel.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Orchard House is a dual timeline book with the first timeline being in present time, telling the story of Taylor, who is adopted by the family of her best friend Victoria, and the second timeline being 150 years prior, telling the story of Joanna and her friendship with Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women; both stories were skillfully woven together by the author. I did feel like religion was piled on a little too thick at the end but all in all, it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., who provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

**sigh** I didn't want to leave the pages of this book. It was so inviting and intriguing. I can't even pick which time period I liked better because I was hooked in both of them. Chiavaroli isn't just a master at a dual-timeline, she is a master storyteller. How she is able to weave her words together so beautifully, delicately, and wonderfully just blows me away.

Let me start with Taylor's storyline. First of all, I appreciate the fact that when Taylor's back story was presented, it was in the first few chapters as if she were living it out. It wasn't an after thought in the middle of the book. I don't think that would have worked in this case, as there were so many components of Taylor's past that the reader needed to see in order to understand why she is like she is present day. Plus, knowing all of these intimate details about her past, allows readers to really enjoy and appreciate the growth she has over the course of the novel. And grow she does.

I think a lot of people will be able to connect with Taylor. The whole sibling rivalry thing (okay, betrayal aside) is something that takes place in so many homes. But I think what you see in Victoria will surprise many readers. It surprised me! She is a character to watch for, and in some ways I wouldn't mind her having her own story. Yes she did something horrible, but she was also living through some pretty awful things, and all I can say without spoilers is that her character truly surprised me.

Onto the historic timeline, which was amazing. I mean Louisa May Alcott, need I say more!? But seriously, the letters between her and Johanna were so fun to read. At times I felt like I was talking with her! This timeline is so much more though. Johanna had her own journey to go on, and wow did she endure some things. Now, I know abuse and alcohol may be a trigger for some people, and I beware you of that. I can also tell you that Chiavaroli handles them with care, love, and special attention. And ultimately brought these two time periods together in a surprising yet delightful way.

This poignant story won't stay on my bookshelf too long, because I'll be diving into the pages again soon. I already miss the characters, their charm, their hurts, and their story. Once again Chiavaroli gives readers a book with a message we didn't even know we needed. The gospel is beautifully woven into the storyline, and speaks volumes. At least it did to me.

I highly recommend The Orchard House to readers everywhere. It is worth your time and then some! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A beautiful story of forgiveness, heartache, faith, and sisters.

A dual timeline story that follows Taylor Bennett a best-selling author in the present day, returning home after her adoptive mother's cancer diagnosis, to her complicated relationship with her sister and the aftermath of their rift 18 years ago. Together they attempt to heal what was broken, and exploring the rich history of Concord's Orchard House the home of Little Women author Lousia May Alcott and for a short time her friend, poet Johanna Bancroft.

A compelling and emotionally evocative read, with raw realistic characters that tug at your heart. Though a split time novel it is weighted more in favor of the present day relationship between sisters Taylor and Victoria, as they research the life of Johanna, while unraveling the threads of their own relationship.

I'm new to this author, and I wasn't sure about how I would feel about it as I am always a little weary of time split novels, but it pulled me in with its winsome characters and captivating writing style, that had me loathe to put it down. The author expertly weaves the two stories together, and I found myself equally drawn to both stories, and appreciated the ease with which they flowed from one to the other. I loved seeing Louisa through the eyes of a friend, and it helped me to understand how counter cultural she was for her time.

Overall, a skillfully written novel, well researched with characters that leap from the page, well realized in their flawed humanity. The author deftly deals with many difficult topics, infusing them with a call towards faith and forgiveness. I was riveted to the page and didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend this gorgeous and emotionally compelling read.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Orchard House is a Dual Narrative Character written book and it is centered on 1865 and 2019. They reflect on the life of Louisa May Alcott and a hired woman/friend.
Taylor is an abandoned girl who becomes a foster child and then adopted by the Bennett family. Victoria is the Bennett’s daughter who is Taylor’s best friend, Both girls admire Louisa May Alcott, but it’s Victoria who has an obsession with the author.

Things happen that keep the girls apart in their late 20’s to mid 30’s. A tragedy brings them together , but things still are not resolved.

The author writes a compelling storyline which directs your attention to keep turning the pages! The characters are strong and likable! Who doesn’t like identifying with Louisa May Alcott and her style of writing penmanship?

I definitely would recommend this book to my friends and family.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Louisa May Alcott fans will love this poignant story about forgiveness, overcoming abusive situations, and facing the future with optimism.

As someone fascinated with all things Concord writers, including Alcott, I went into this read with much excitement! I also happen to love novels that go back and forth between contemporary and past time periods and Concord (a place I love to visit).

Thankfully, this novel did not disappoint as Chiavoroli successfully switches between narratives with ease. Sure, at times, I found myself engrossed with one time more than another, but that’s because I wanted to find out what happened next. There is a page-turning element to this novel, so be prepared.

Overall, this is an uplifting and powerful read fans of inspirational novels should enjoy! If you love Louisa May Alcott, Women’s Fiction, Historical fiction, or books about writers, I recommend giving this book a try.

Adaptation Recommendation: This would be a complicated story to adapt, but if done well, it would make a great movie in the same style as Possession.

Content Note: There are some abusive situations, but it is not overly graphic.