
Book Review – The Simplicity of Cider (& Giveaway)
I’ve been nose deep in a book for weeks now – as my dusty tables and dog hair-littered floors can attest. Today I’m featuring wonderful book from Amy Reichert titled The Simplicity of Cider. If you have not read this yet (she’s wonderful), there’s a giveaway further down so you have the chance to win your own copy!

Published by Gallery Books on May 16th 2017
Pages: 313
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Fall in love with The Simplicity of Cider, the charming new novel about a prickly but gifted cider-maker whose quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of a handsome man and his young son at her family’s careworn orchard by the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie.
Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.
Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.
Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.
From the warm and funny Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider is a charming love story with a touch of magic, perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Gayle Forman.

Review
It almost feels like the wrong season for this book to be released as apple season is still a few months away – and this story will leave you with a longing for apple cider donuts or one of Sanna’s crisp ciders. Despite the pastry cravings, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait for Amy Reichert’s return to Wisconsin for her third book, set in Door County in an apple orchard.
Books falling under the heading of “magical realism” are a bit of a guilty pleasure, and once again, Reichert doesn’t disappoint. The magic comes in with Sanna’s ability to “see” the flavors of her orchard’s apples, and she uses her talent to blend ciders that will leave you curious for a pint of them yourself. Sanna herself, however, comes across as prickly – at least at the beginning of the story, although her sharp edges are better understood as her story unfolds. She’s definitely a complex one that might irritate you as she grows on you. I find this complexity typical of Reichert’s characters; here, Sanna’s gruffness and stiff edges a sharp contrast to the love and connection she has to her family orchard.
As with her other books, the Wisconsin setting is inviting, charming and well drawn. The size of the family homestead, with all its empty wings sharply contrasts with the almost lonely feel of Sanna and her father eating alone, and it is in these scenes that we begin to sense that there is more to her character than appears on the surface.
Quite possibly my favorite character is young Sebastian – an outspoken, curious, bodily-function obsessed ten-year-old, who proves to be a good foil to Sanna’s crustiness and in some ways is a good source of the conflict that begins to unfold for the orchard.
This is a solid, steady tale that will quietly draw you in with a mix of romance, intrigue, and family drama. It is a tale of family dynamics – and there is a lot of it here.
Amy Reichert continues to delight with The Simplicity of Cider.
Buy a copy of The Simplicity of Cider by clicking HERE.
About the Author
Amy Reichert earned her MA in Literature from Marquette University, and honed her writing and editing skills as a technical writer (which is exactly as exciting as it sounds). As a newly minted member of the local library board, she loves helping readers find new books to love. She’s a life-long Wisconsin resident with (allegedly) a very noticeable accent, a patient husband, and two too-smart-for-their-own-good kids. When time allows, she loves to read, collect more cookbooks than she could possibly use, and test the limits of her DVR.
Author Website Amazon Author Page
The Giveaway!!!!
*I received an advanced reader copy from Gallery Books via NetGalley. A copy of the book was also made available for giveaway purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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