Lyrical prose and a plot following a meandering and purposeful path through the mountains of Colorado mark this book one of the most visually stunning stories I've ever read. 

The sense of place is so richly drawn, that the mountains, the river, and the orchard are almost a whole character in themselves. The pacing is somehow meandering and purposeful at the same time, like a river winding it's way along the path of least resistance without a lot of fuss. It's a calm, slow, thoughtful, tragic, and beautiful story. I loved it.

However, I almost put it down, because Victoria, the main character, experiences loss after loss after loss after loss, and my heart couldn't take it. For those who need to know, the river of this story does spill over into a place of hope, though it's not a tidy ending. It's very real, though, and I like to think Victoria got her happily ever after.