I enjoyed Where the Wild Peaches Grow, although I did find it frustrating at times because of all the miscommunication. It's beautifully written, though, and the ending was satisfying.

This was an immersive read from the very beginning.
Complicated family problems and unresolved trauma. It was honest and beautiful and I loved every page.

Nona’s emotions are swirling as she returns for her father’s funeral and knowing that it will be impossible not to see Marcus, the man she loved and broke her heart on the night they were to elope. Everyone knew her as Peaches before she left Natchez, Mississippi 15 years ago. Well, Peaches left for Chicago without Marcus and is now Dr. Nona Davenport, professor of African American studies and Eli is the man in her life now.

Nona begins her visit to see her grandmother, Opal Davenport (lovingly called Mamaw) and is instantly enveloped by the sights of peach and magnolia trees, the fragrances of lilacs, the sound of the porch wind chimes, and nosy neighbor Miss Gus is sitting on her porch as though she’s never moved. There are other reunions yet to take place and the funeral.

Long held secrets of the past reveal not only the pain of the past but how they are affecting the present and the path of the future for Nona, sister Julia and nephew Jayden, and Marcus. Through Nona’s friendship with Sanganette and her brother Ruby history of the area and stories passed down through generations unfolds as well as the reason and meaning behind the nickname of Peaches.

As I read the novel I found this passage to be most meaningful and evocative … “The world’s history shouldn’t be taken away or added to at the whims of others who want to tell a different story. Tell the story like it happened. And how do we do that?”

This is a compelling story of the relationships within a family, of family history, of southern history, of cultural heritage. It is also a revealing example showing how individuals react differently to the same situations, how reactions are misunderstood and judged unfairly not only by friends but family too. Resonant passages give light to the understanding that we could receive from history if only we shed light on the truth and not the truth some want it to have been.

My sincere thanks to Cade Bentley, and Lake Union Publishing for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#WhereWildPeachesGrow #NetGalley

Where Wild Peaches Grow is full of family lies and deceit, twists and turns, and chapter endings that leave enough questions that you can't put the book down. However, as you delve deeper into the story plot the misunderstandings between characters and family do not seem significant enough to drive a twenty year wedge between them.

This heart warming story of sisters. Who just trying to live with their choices. Such a good read. I hope to read more from this author soon.

My thanks to net galley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read Cade Bentley's Where the Wild Peaches Grow. I Ioved it, and I think it has some important lessons. The lessons are woven in with some lovely storytelling, and some strong, well-developed characters.

This book was well written with a powerful story line, the characters were well developed with emotional topics handled in a sensitive and touching way. Two estranged sisters who had not seen each other for many years forced to come together, confronting each with their pain and anger towards one another. Not necessarily an easy read, but gives the reader pause to think (perhaps more than you wish). My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of the people who leave and the people who stay behind.
After the death of their father, Nona and Julia are left to face the consequences of their choices and those of the people around them. Nona returns to Natchez, a place she fled for Chicago, where she became a professor of African American studies. Julia never left, and has stewed in resentment about her abandonment. They both think they understand their own histories, but neither of them do.
The story unfolds methodically. Though it is a little confusing in the beginning—Natchez is the sort of place where lots of people get involved—each piece of the puzzle takes its place. As Julia notes, “All families had secrets, and most times they were best if they stayed buried.” And this family has a lot of secrets. For every new truth revealed, the relationships between the characters coil and unfurl, causing hurt and healing in equal measure.
Everyone in this book is connected. There are the sisters, Julia and Nona, their father, their mother, their grandmother. Old boyfriends, neighbours, childhood friends. And the disconnections - like Nona’s boyfriend Eli from the rest of her family - are deliberate and telling.
The depth of the characters is wonderful, with each portrait viewed from a thousand angles, each relationship explained from so many perspectives, so we see what the characters think of themselves and also how they are viewed by others. Sometimes the characters recognise this discord and it inspires an emotional revelation. One character who sees nothing is Sanganette. She is, simply, a piece of work, a white teacher who wants children to learn that the Civil War happened over “states rights.” Throughout the story she centres herself at every opportunity, including when Julia is crying about the death of her father, and she seems to take Nona’s PhD in African American History rather personally. Bentley’s skill is evident here.
My only gripe with this story, and it’s a small one, is that we don’t get the full story of Nona’s nickname, and why her father planted peach trees for her, never letting anyone pick the fruit. I suspect this was a deliberate choice on the part of the author, because there are enough clue to piece together a reasonable guess, but I would have loved to have the full story told.
This is not a book for people who are frustrated by miscommunication. But the miscommunication that drives this story is not a simple plot device, but the complicated reality that people withhold information and tell lies for a multitude of reasons, many of them deeply flawed but also deeply human. Sometimes a hug and an apology is enough to make up for it, and sometimes people are never held accountable for their choices.

A beautiful novel that addresses the importance of truth in History….both our personal and our country’s. A truly American family with sisters who both love each other and harbor anger towards each other. A family who “let lies and hurts separate them over the years and across the miles.” When the family comes together in Natchez, they are forced to confront each other. I found the shift from past to present to be a little confusing at times, but it didn’t distract from the strength of the story.

I really enjoyed this book it was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters and handles some emotive topics in a sympathetic and empathetic way. I couldn't put this book down and read it really quickly and after finishing I just had to sit and think for a whie.
If you like books that are full of rich imagery and descriptions written so vividly you feelk like you could jump between the pages then this is a book for you.

I'm about 3 chapters in and I'm so lost already, definitely confusing to keep up with unfortunately. Maybe I haven't given it enough chance but I can't carry it on unfortunately.

Behind a story of family estrangement and sisterly love lies the deeper subject of misinformation and how history is made. The topics of slavery and civil war is masterfully woven in between the exploration of our character's relationship's dynamics.
I was really touched by this book, it's gripping, full of feelings but never corny. I came to love the character of Nona in particular and I so wanted for her story to end well, I read all 300+ pages in one sitting just to know what would happen. The descriptions are so vivid too. I could taste the corn bread, hear the twangy accents and feel the heat from the sun on my skin. In spite of all the hardships the characters must face, this book felt so warm to me. It's full of love and optimism, it encourages everyone to act not only for what they think is right but for what is true.
This was so, so good!