In the Orchard, The Swallows, is a slim, lyrical book that can be read in a sitting or two, about a young man released from a Pakistani prison after more than a decade. Now, the boy he was gone, and the man he could have been ceased to exist, he must figure out who he is and how he will survive, not just day to day but how to make a life when everything about himself has been shattered, reformed and remade.

He has a long way to go, and Hobbs makes no bones about the abuse he's suffered and the difficulty of his recovery in both physical and psychological terms. But there's hope, and there's a future, even if he doesn't quite know what that future will hold. I would recommend In the Orchard for readers of Atiq Rahimi and Khaled Hosseini. It's a little gem.
It's my second book for the 2014 Europa Challenge.
Rating: BUY
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from Europa Editions.
4 comments:
That does sound like a gem! I have a feeling I'd love that book.
Sounds really good.
Nice catch on this title. See from your "Reading Right Now" that you have HILD coming up. Wonder if you've had a chance to get into it and what you think.
Oh! I just ruffled through some of your earlier entries and (laugh!) see your comments..."I am still working through HILD..." My thoughts exactly. Wish I felt I had the time, but alas!
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