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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.

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.