Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
25th out of 31 books
—
26 voters
The Rock Orchard
by
Paula Wall
"It is common knowledge that Belle Women make hard men melt like butter in a pan," writes novelist Wall, adding, "They are equally adept at reversing the process." If you find such sentiments appealing, then spirit yourself away to Leaper's Fork, Tennessee, and immerse yourself in the very southern world of Charlotte, Angela, and Dixie Belle: three generations of Belles, a...more
Hardcover, 244 pages
Published
February 1st 2005
by Atria Books
(first published January 1st 2005)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,004)
The Belles have been in Leaper's Fork, Tennessee, since before the Civil War, and the Belle women have been strong, independent, and lusty. But in spite of their shocking behavior, the citizens of Leaper's Fork don't hesitate to come to them with their problems or have Belles lay hands on their newborn babies, for the Belles seem to have the sight as well. Charlotte likes to smoke cigars and make money. Not a fan of children, she nevertheless begrudgingly takes in her sister's child, Angela. Cha...more
Welcome to 1940s Leaper's Fork where the Belle women reign supreme, there's a touch of magic, lots of Southern charm and a bunch of misfits who fits perfectly in.
The characters are quite memorable even if the story wasn't as. The Belle women are eccentric and that's likely what made them so charming. They have sass, wits and big hearts. Charlotte Belle is one of a kind. She lives life by her own rules and puts her interests first. It just so happens it's in her best interest to take her late sis...more
The characters are quite memorable even if the story wasn't as. The Belle women are eccentric and that's likely what made them so charming. They have sass, wits and big hearts. Charlotte Belle is one of a kind. She lives life by her own rules and puts her interests first. It just so happens it's in her best interest to take her late sis...more
Well I am torn between 2 or 3 stars but in the end I guess I found the book just OK (2 stars). I didn't particularly care about any of the characters in this book and I liked the Belle sisters the very least. There were sections of the book that were in fact page turners but then it would fall flat again. I hit several chapters that I could have easily put the book down and forgot about it (but it was a library book so I pressed on). There were many different characters introduced in this novel...more
What can I say I loved it? The southern accent of the reader helped me enjoy the book as well as the story.
This is the story of the people of Leapers Fork, Tennessee. It starts off with the beautiful, rich & determined females the Belles, Charlotte (the aunt), Angela (the niece) and Dixie (her daughter). When you read the back cover you would think the story is all about the Belle’s but it is not, there is lot more to it than that.
When Adam Montgomery came to town, he noticed Angela and she...more
This is the story of the people of Leapers Fork, Tennessee. It starts off with the beautiful, rich & determined females the Belles, Charlotte (the aunt), Angela (the niece) and Dixie (her daughter). When you read the back cover you would think the story is all about the Belle’s but it is not, there is lot more to it than that.
When Adam Montgomery came to town, he noticed Angela and she...more
Surprisingly good. This book has many characters. It has three female lead characters, Charlotte Belle, Angela Belle and Dixie Belle. The story revolves around them and the town of Leaper Fork. Charlotte is a woman who is used to men falling at her feet. And she doesn't need a man in her life to make it complete except for sex. Angela is her niece that she has raised since she was a baby. Angela is pretty wild, she is also kind at heart and the opposite of her aunt. She has a daughter at a very...more
I was expecting to give this book, due to reviews by other readers, 3 stars. Happily, the book surprised me and I enjoyed it more then I thought I would (which goes to show that you should read books that sound good to you regardless of the reviews). The characters are funny and the story is entertaining with quite a few touching moments.
Often, a story about a small town just makes me grateful that I am not living in a small town. This one, however, made me think it wouldn't be too bad. It might...more
Often, a story about a small town just makes me grateful that I am not living in a small town. This one, however, made me think it wouldn't be too bad. It might...more
Characters, characters, characters. We certainly get our fill of them from this debut novel. Ms. Wall is quite adept at character development. The writing was beautiful and the story unpredictable and amusing. Who would have a child’s birthday at a cemetery? The Belle sisters of course – they may even dance naked!! These are strong, intelligent women who pull you into their lives and may change your perspective. I enjoyed this book and recommend to those looking for a laugh or just to feel good.
This is another one that is under-appreciated in our library.
An easy, breezy quick read that is enjoyable until you think about what the author is conveying:
1) Women, no matter how beautiful, smart, successful in business and happy, are secretly incomplete until they marry.
2) When men are held back from fulfilling their potential, it is unwaveringly the fault of their wives who don't enjoy having sex with them.
Eeeew.
It's coated over by an 'all you need is love' veneer, but yuck.
Out to the sale...more
An easy, breezy quick read that is enjoyable until you think about what the author is conveying:
1) Women, no matter how beautiful, smart, successful in business and happy, are secretly incomplete until they marry.
2) When men are held back from fulfilling their potential, it is unwaveringly the fault of their wives who don't enjoy having sex with them.
Eeeew.
It's coated over by an 'all you need is love' veneer, but yuck.
Out to the sale...more
This book is "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" meets bodice-ripper. The writing is beautifully charming and scattered with homey Southern imagery, similies and metaphors. The characters are fully developed and the plot is engaging. That being said, it is not tremendously deep, is predictable on most levels and definitely has its bodice-ripping (albeit not tremendously graphic) moments. An awesome beach read. :)
I loved this book. I actually listened to it in CD format and thought the voices and characters extraordinarily well represented. Wall has a clever way of telling a serious story with wonderful humor. The settings and scenes that were conjured up were magical and I thoroughly enjoyed the "naughty" and sultry characters of the Belle women. One of those books/CD's I didn't want to end.
Really fast read. It was fun and light and the flow was perfect. It did take more than half the book to get to the description on the back of the book, which I found mildly irritating, and I never got the sense that I knew the characters really well. There were many characters and several stories were told so it was an engrossing read. I wish there were more to come
Our book club really enjoyed this book. The first five or six chapters had me in stitches with snappy come-backs spoken by the strong, unabashed women in the story. There are almost too many of these similes and metaphors but when you laugh out loud it is worth it. The story line has some interesting twists and all is well that ends well in this fun to read tale.
I just re-read this book because it was here and I had to lend my kindle to my mom. As I near the end of a good book, I start to read more slowly to delay its demise but unfortunately, it still must end. I wonder what Charlotte, Angela, and Dixie are doing now. Just thought that I'd note a few quotes from the book. There are so many gems to choose from yet here is today's selection:
"Around them, the storm raged furiously,...A jealous God was not happy that the drive of man was being steered by t...more
"Around them, the storm raged furiously,...A jealous God was not happy that the drive of man was being steered by t...more
This book sucks you in to the story from the first page. The characters are alive and so interesting! A small southern town has an interesting woman character who is different than the typical Southern Belle we've all grown up hearing about. She lives her life on her terms, along with her niece. Very very good, could not put it down.
Loved some quotes such as: "Love ain't about how a person look. It about how they feel in the dark." And then talking about money: "It's not what you make, it's what you keep." There were others, but I neglected to mark them. I may go back to find them because they were 'profound.' I really enjoyed this book.
Sep 26, 2011
Carolyn Brandt
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
50-books-challenge-for-2010
A nice easy read. Cute story and narration. Though, it did seem like there were several stories going on that didn't seem to join together in the end. The ending seemed abrupt and strange. But never-the-less...a nice book.I have no idea where the title of the book falls into play either....more
LOL ok so I added Stone Orchard and just realized that I'd put the wrong book I was reading. Finished this last night.. it was an easy read. A bit more relationshipy then I usually read... lusty women and who is with who. Not really my thing but it was entertaining for a quick read.
I finished this one pretty much in one sitting! At first I wasn't sure whether I would like this book, but the more I read the more I fell in love with the story and its characters.
"The Rock Orchard" is a wonderful novel --- and it was the perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday ... :o)
"The Rock Orchard" is a wonderful novel --- and it was the perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday ... :o)
I. Adore. This. Book.
A swift paced tale with sass. Easy read, full of spice. When you simply want to sit back and let the story tell itself to you, its one to nab.
btw - I couldn't find the edition I owned, so I just randomly clicked on one...
A swift paced tale with sass. Easy read, full of spice. When you simply want to sit back and let the story tell itself to you, its one to nab.
btw - I couldn't find the edition I owned, so I just randomly clicked on one...
I like the fact that the plot wasn't really "introduced" until the last third of the book. The quirky characters were interesting and some of the humor was just my style. Reading a book in three hours and feeling like I know some of the characters is fun
I couldn't put this book down; I read it in one evening! I found it on one of the bargain shelves at B&N and got interested when I read the author is from Nashville and the book is set in Leaper's Fork. The story centers on the Belle women, who "can touch a man and heal like Jesus." Wall does a great job using language to evoke an almost tactile feeling of the South, one of my favorite quotes is "Something happend to a man when he crossed the Mason-Dixon Line. The heat and the humidity melte...more
While I wasn't overly impressed with this story, I did rather enjoy some of the characters. The Belle sisters were very entertaining in their various escapades and temptations, but overall I found the story lacking.
THANKS JO! i LOVED this book as much as Garden Spells... i found myself smiling most of the way thru it!! in my other life i would choose to be a Belle!!
great southern read!! def recommend it to ALL!!! GO GET IT NOW!!
great southern read!! def recommend it to ALL!!! GO GET IT NOW!!
My mom passed this on saying it was "different". What needs to be recognized here is that different is not bad. I enjoyed the southern vs. northern aspect and in the end there were multiple happy endings so I liked it.
A book of strong female heroines. A theme of female empowerment tucked into a story of life with the non-conformist Belle women and the joy and tribulations they bring to a small southern town.
The author's voice is so defined I felt as if she were whispering the story in my ear as we sipped iced tea in her parlor. THis book is bittersweet and I was despondent when it ended.
Surprise, surprise. I really did like this book. It's not a book you think about, or look for discrepancies, just read it and enjoy it. I did, and read it so fast, I read it in a day.
It was pretty good. The characters were interesting. I listened to it on the way to Jesup and back and it kept me entertained. I probably would have liked it more if I read the book.
Love this book! Another one of my favourites! Amazing characters, and character relationships. Although somewhat predictable, it is an awesome book. Highly recommended.
An off-beat and sometimes racy (sexy) Southern read; one of the best southern novels I've read to date. More real, earthy and gritty, less sugar sweet and cliched than many southern reads. These characters will linger with me.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“It is common knowledge that Belle women make hard men melt like butter in a pan. They are equally adept at reversing the process.”
—
4 people liked it
“It's not how you look, it's how you feel in the dark”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
Jun 19, 2012 04:40am