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There are currently 10 member reviews
for Appraisals
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Deborah W. (Boynton Beach, FL)
Taking Sides, Crossing Lines, Forging a Future without Forgetting the Past
The author has a deep concern for the resources of Mother Earth, particularly her land and water. She lines up her characters on both sides of a divide: stewards and eco-warriors vs. exploiters. It's all very clear, until the husband of an organic farmer takes a job with an oil company doing fracking in the area. He wants the income so they don't lose the farm and her dream. Can their marriage survive this seeming move to the dark side? Can the farm survive potential pollution? You'll care about this couple, and also their daughter, and especially the farmer's grandmother, Flora. You'll care about the issues at play in this rural county, about the generations who have farmed here and what their future holds. So this debut novel is as much a love story to the land as it is a story of a marriage. The novel seemed polemical at first, but soon I was absorbed in the personal side of the issues, and the characters blossomed along with the organic vegetables and flowers. There's much to think about, so this would be a good choice for book groups.
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Jean F. (Cary, NC)
Challenges of sustainable farming in Colorado
Claire Boyles' first novel, Appraisals, depicts the hardship and the challenges of organic farming in eastern Colorado after the 2008 recession. Water is tight and the competition for water rights is costly and sometimes contentious. It is a novel of issues and complex characters and I liked it.
Although Maggie's grandmother Flora ultimately lost the farm Maggie was raised on, Maggie is determined to become an organic farmer. She and her husband Fish buy Chicken Neck Farm and raise their daughter Ozzie there. Complications and controversies arise when developers begin buying up land and fracking for oil and natural gas.
Boyles lovingly details both the beauty and the hard work required to eke out a satisfactory living. The main characters, Maggie, Fish, Ozzie, and Flora, each have strong views and passions which often put them at loggerheads with one another. I found it slow going at points; a leaner, more focused narrative could have built up tension in a more dramatic way.
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Kay D. (Strongsville, OH)
Enlightening Look at Multigenerational Farming and Family Dynamics
Beautiful debut novel. I enjoyed this book and found it very readable and well paced. The author tackled several relevant topics and blended them together to paint an inside look at farming in the current times. Good character development. Although I didn't necessarily like all the characters, I was able to see them clearly. Presenting the storyline from three different perspectives was well done and tied together successfully. A good potential book club read - lots to discuss.
