Kate Brandes

I'm so glad I was able to read an ARC copy of this book! The author did a great job of showing both sides of many areas in this story. I learned a lot about fracking, and the pros and cons of people allowing it on their land.
The story also portrays a family torn apart by secrets, misunderstandings, and things we can't control in life. I liked the family dynamics plot twists that didn't take the easy/normal way out (I won't say more since I don't want to spoil the story.) Filled with life-changing decisions, dreams and regrets, their story will stick with you.… (más)

4.5 stars.

The Promise of Pierson Orchard by Kate Brandes is an enthralling family drama that also provides an insightful look into fracking.

Jack Pierson is stunned to learn his long estranged brother has returned to their small town as a representative of Green Energy. Wade's return is business motivated since Green Energy is interested in purchasing land leases so they can frack for natural gas. Jack is worried about the long term effects of fracking on the family orchard and other people's property, so he decides to turn to environmental lawyer Stella Brantley for advice. Stella is more than just a lawyer; she is the mother who abandoned Jack and Wade thirty years ago. What effect will Stella's return have on the town? And will her reappearance in her sons' lives help mend the rift between them?

In the wake of a tragedy, Wade left town and never looked back. Not once in his twenty year absence has he contacted Jack or his former girlfriend LeeAnn, who is now Jack's wife. He carefully planned his return to Minden and he hopes his connection to the town will sway its residents in favor of signing the land leases with Green Energy. Wade is also hoping he to resume his relationship with LeeAnn but his plans where his brother are concerned are a little murky.

Embittered and holding onto past hurts, Jack would like nothing more than to fix the mistake he made long ago. This desire to repair his relationship with Wade is at the heart of his decision to reach out to Stella but his plan is not very well thought out. Jack is also desperately trying to reconcile with LeeAnn but she is not at all receptive to his efforts. He soon loses hope his marriage can be saved once he becomes aware that Wade and LeeAnn are spending time together. Jack has never dealt with the events from his childhood and this becomes a huge issue when trying to reconcile with LeeAnn.

LeeAnn blames Jack for their problems and she has given up on him and their marriage. She immediately shuts down his tentative attempts to reach out to her and with Wade's return, she becomes even more resistant to fixing their problems. It takes very little effort for Wade to woo her but LeeAnn soon regrets her decision to spend time with him. By the time LeeAnn realizes she is equally responsible for the troubles in her marriage, an unexpected complication might end any chance for a reconciliation between her and Jack.

As the situation between Jack, Wade and LeeAnn reaches a crescendo, Jack's fears about fracking come to fruition. Stella's efforts to protect the land owners from the effects of fracking cause added tension between her and Wade. At the same time, her relationship with Jack is improving but progress is slow with occasional setbacks. Will Wade find it in his heart to forgive Stella for abandoning him? Will Jack and LeeAnn figure out how to move past their hurt and anger in order to save their marriage?

The Promise of Pierson Orchard is a beautiful novel of redemption and forgiveness. Although the characters are deeply flawed and sometimes difficult to like, readers will become invested in their efforts to repair their fractured relationships. Kate Brandes does an excellent job presenting both the pros and cons of fracking and its effects on the environment. I highly recommend this heartfelt and engaging contemporary novel to fans of contemporary women's fiction.
… (más)

Jack's family life began crumbling early in his childhood. When Jack and his brother Wade were four and five years old, Jack's mother walked out on the family due to severe depression. Later in his youth, their father died in a hunting accident. Not long after that, Wade disappears. Jack is left to run their apple orchard by himself. Jack marries a neighbor, LeeAnn and after eight years of infertility, their marriage falls apart. Then, Wade returns along with his new job at Green Energy with hopes to reconcile his past and help out the town. Wade is selling land leases for Green Energy to frack for natural gas in the abundant shale deposits of his hometown of Minden, Pennsylvania. The quick money is a big draw for many of the families and businesses who have seen their town dwindle since the coal companies left. However, Jack is worried about the effects of fracking on the land, his orchard and LeeAnn's organic apple trees. He makes the decision to call in his mother, Stella, now an acclaimed environmental lawyer to get some perspective on the issue. With Wade, Jack and Stella all back together there will be more be more explosions than just the hydraulic fracturing.

As an environmental scientist, I appreciate pertinent environmental issues featured in contemporary fiction. The Promise of Pierson Orchard expertly incorporates the slowly leaking and infiltrating toxins of the hydraulic fracturing with the disassembling relationships within Jack's family. The characters are definitely the focus of the story. The writing switching between the point-of-view of Jack, Wade, LeeAnn and Stella giving an intimate look into each character's back story and reasoning, making it easy to see everyone's beliefs and why they were convinced they were doing the right thing. The shorter chapters also made for quick reading and a build of suspense as secrets were revealed. I was most impressed with the author's ability to come up with a compromise solution for the town and the hydraulic fracturing. While the dangers of fracking and its many consequences are highlighted, Stella's character is able to come up with a solution that includes fracking done a better way in order to help the community and family that she left behind. With a heart-pounding and surprising ending, The Promise of Pierson Orchard provides an engaging and thoughtful read.

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.… (más)

I was drawn to this book because I grew up in Philadelphia (moving to the Jersey shore when I was 12) so it brought back memories of home. I will also note before I dive into my thoughts that I am anti-fracking. Let me also note that the book is if not even handed on the issue, at least a bit balanced by showing both sides of this contentious issue.

The book takes place in a rural area where farming is a way of life. The main character, Jack Pierson, runs an apple orchard that he inherited from his father – a man who was not a caring man. His mother left early in his life and it left Jack severely emotionally stunted. His wife LeeAnn has recently left Jack because of a myriad of reasons but mostly because of his inability to understand her drive for a child. She is willing to do anything while he just didn’t get how much she wanted a baby. She is also experimenting with organic apple growing which Jack doesn’t understand; why change what has worked for years? And her mother is dying.

Jack has a brother, Wade, who left town after their father died (he accidentally killed him) – but he’s now back in town as the representative of a gas company. He’ trying to get drilling rights from the people in town so that his company can start fracking. To complete this circle, Jack and Wade’s mother has established herself since her absence from their lives as an environmental lawyer – with a particular knowledge of Wade’s company.

Whew!

There are a number of subplots going on in the book involving relationships past and present and Ms. Brandes does a good job of making them easy to follow. She also educates her readers without bogging them down with too much technical jargon and gives them what they need to delve further into the fracking issue if they want to learn more. Each character is unique and well developed. If you enjoy family drama with an environmental twist you will definitely find your bliss with this book.… (más)