Five Quarters of The Orange: Summary and book reviews of Five Quarters of The Orange by Joanne Harris, plus links to an excerpt from Five Quarters of The Orange and a biography of Joanne Harris.

The novels of Joanne Harris are a literary feast for the senses. Five Quarters of the Orange represents Harris's most complex and sophisticated work yet -- a novel in which darkness and fierce joy come together to create an unforgettable story. When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous Mirabelle Dartigen--the woman they still hold responsible for a terrible tragedy that, look place during the German occupation decades before. Althrough Framboise hopes for a new beginning. She quickly discovers that past and present are inextricably intertwined. Nowhere is this truth more apparent than in the scrap book of recipes she has inherited from her dead mother. With this book, Framboise recreates her mother's dishes, which she serves in her small creperie. And yet as she studies the scrapbook -- searching for clues to unlock the contradiction between her mother's sensuous love of food and often cruel demeanor -- she begins to recognize a deeper meaning behind Mirabelle's cryptic scribbles. Within the journal's tattered pages lies the key to what actually transpired the summer Framboise was nine years old. Rich and dark. Fire Quarters of the Orange is a novel of mothers and daughters of the past and the present, of resisting, and succumbing, and an extraordinary work by a masterful writer.

Media Reviews

Kirkus Reviews An overwrought and often contrived tale with one too many characters named after food.... Harris (Chocolat, 1999) is capable of elegantly sensual writing, but Five Quarters degenerates into melodrama all too soon.   Publishers Weekly If Harris's previous novel, Chocolat, was an adorably sweet morsel of French village lore, then this, her third, is a richer, more complex dessert wine.... Whether the previous book's readers are ready for this more serious novel is questionable.   Library Journal Like the oranges whose fragrance so tortured Framboise's mother, the ending is bittersweet, and readers will love it. Highly recommended.   Publishers Weekly If Harris's previous novel, Chocolat, was an adorably sweet morsel of French village lore, then this, her third, is a richer, more complex dessert wine.... Whether the previous book's readers are ready for this more serious novel is questionable.   Booklist The story unfolds like a crabapple blossom . . . There's not a moment of slackness in the perfectly wrought prose.   Booklist The story unfolds like a crabapple blossom . . . There's not a moment of slackness in the perfectly wrought prose.   Library Journal Like the oranges whose fragrance so tortured Framboise's mother, the ending is bittersweet, and readers will love it. Highly recommended.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Lily
Five Quarters of the Orange
Exquisitely written, powerful, thought provoking, engaging... This is the first of Joanne Harris' books I have read, but certainly not the last!

Rated of 5 by Mart
I thought that this book was very interesting. There is never a dull moment. While reading this book there a lot of details. The ending is a total surprise and it takes many twists and turns. Thank you Joanne Harris for writting such a wicked book!

Rated of 5 by Lauren
Though the book started rather slow, it came along very well in the latter half of the book. The characters were discribed so well that you felt like they were in your own life.

Rated of 5 by chris
Enjoyed this book very much. I will now read the other Joanne Harris' books. She is a good writer, the plot moves well, the characters are interesting and beliveable.

Rated of 5 by Lynn
Intriging, well developed characters, incredible, believable story. I really enjoyed reading this. The author used similes and metaphors that were beautiful to read.

Rated of 5 by Sandy
I found this book difficult to get into, but once I did, I loved it. I loved the way Harris unraveled the mystery. I savored the last words like a glass of fine wine.

...14 More Reader Reviews

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