IN THE ORCHARD

An exhilarating exploration of womanhood, modern family, and the interior landscape of maternal life

At night, Maisie Moore dreams that her life is perfect: the looming mortgages and credit card debt have magically vanished, and she can raise her four children, including newborn Esme, on an undulating current of maternal bliss, by turns oceanic and overwhelming, but awash in awe and wonder. Then she jolts awake, and after checking that her husband and baby are asleep beside her, remembers the real-world money problems to be resolved amidst the long days of grocery shopping, gymnastics practices, and soccer games. From this moment, Eliza Minot draws readers into the psyche of the perceptive and warmhearted Maisie, who yearns to understand the world around her and overflows with fierce love for her growing family.

Unfolding over the course of a single day in which Maisie and her husband Neil take their children apple-picking in a local orchard, Eliza Minot's In the Orchard is luminous, masterfully crafted, revelatory—a shining exploration of motherhood, childhood, and love.

ELIZA MINOT was born in Beverly, Massachusetts. She lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with her family.