The Blue Orchard

By Jackson Taylor
Touchstone, $14.99, 416 pages

The Blue Orchard is an account of the life of the author’s grandmother, Verna Krone, who came from a poor family in Pennsylvania and had to leave school to help supplement the family’s income. Determined to escape poverty, she eventually became a nurse and worked for a prominent black doctor in Harrisburg during the decades preceding the Civil Rights movement.

Jackson Taylor presents this story in the first-person narrative, but the novel is the result of ten years of research and extensive interviews. Verna worked for a politically prominent doctor who offered safe, but illegal, abortions. The demise of his political clout eventually led to their arrest. The Blue Orchard, while presented as a novel, has an extremely strong sense of authenticity. It’s an incredible portrayal of America’s social and political history from a perspective not often presented in literature. Taylor’s dedication to an honest combination of fact and personal interpretation is obvious and commendable. His writing is excellent, and his subtle characterization brings this bit of history alive. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers, but especially to those who enjoy an inside look at the machinery of politics and their effect on community.

Reviewed by Rachel Wallace