The Orchard Path - by Colin Harrison (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An enchantingly profound meditation on our connection to the natural world and finding meaning beyond the demands of our daily lives, as told through the story of a pear orchard and the man who raised it

Thirty years ago, Colin Harrison came across an ad in a local newspaper for an abandoned plot of land, once a potato farm, in Suffolk County, Long Island. Curious, he arrived to find seven overgrown acres. There was no electricity, no water, and no paved road. There were also no phone lines, and no way to receive the news--a complete escape from the deadlines of his working life. Harrison purchased the land.

Years passed, and what began as a modest planting of four fruit trees at his retreat outside the city became an orchard of nearly two hundred pear trees that the writer tends himself.

The Orchard Path braids together the vibrant story of Harrison's orchard with the lessons he has learned from seasons of tree care and touches on the meaning of orchards, as well as the charming history of pear varieties. As he guides us through planting to pruning, watering and waiting, to finally harvesting the fruits of one's labor, he also teaches us about the pleasures that come from patience, the rewards of hard outdoor work, and the peace that arise from our interconnectedness with the Earth. Along the way, he meditates on privacy, beauty, and our perception of time. And on bees, wood ladders, and raccoons. Readers of all ages who seek a tonic for our disordered era will find hope in these pages.

Rendered in lush, measured prose, The Orchard Path is at once one man's ode to a life-changing endeavor and a contemplation of mortality, living a life of purpose, and the power of taking part in something that will outlast us all.

Review Quotes

"The Orchard Path is, on one level, a book about a man and his pear trees, his endless trials and errors, his incessant battles with deer, insects, and raccoons. But when you cross into Colin Harrison's orchard, you soon realize you have also stepped into a very large and ancient idea. It's a book about time, too--elapsed time, time that seems to slow, the 4,000-year-old world of pear cultivation, suspended in its own timeless logic. What a marvelous achievement. What fun to read."
--S.C. Gwynne, bestselling author of Empire of the Summer Moon

"When you're heartsick at the national news, wrung out at the office, or feeling empty at the end of your day, come wander among Colin Harrison's pear orchard. This splendid little book is a balm, and Harrison is your gentle, wise, funny, lyrical guide to tending a life that is fruitful in all ways."
--Sy Montgomery, bestselling author of Secrets of the Octopus

"I never knew there was so much to know, in such entertaining ways, about growing a piece of fruit. Colin Harrison is a prose magician, a stylist with the jeweler's eye for detail, and has the bard's knack for weaving a hell of a story. The Orchard Path changed my life. There are moments in this book that are heart-stopping. Read it. It will only make you want to go back to the beginning and start again."
--Doug Stanton, bestselling author of Horse Soldiers

"In this marvelous book, Harrison offers up not just a provocative treatise on the magic of pears but also embraces something of perhaps even greater succulence: a celebration of the truth that all things that demand the time and attention and love of those who tend for them bestow rewards whose value is immeasurable. Written with concision and crystalline eloquence, this is a masterpiece from a master keeper of both orchards and words."
--Kevin Fedarko, bestselling author of A Walk in the Park

"The orchard is the path in this lovely paean to the cultivation of pears. There is majesty and elegance here, and a delicacy and sweetness appropriate to the fruit at hand, and to life itself."
--David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars

About the Author

Colin Harrison is the author of eight novels. He has also written for The New York Times, Vogue, New York Magazine, and other publications. As an editor, Harrison worked at Harper's for twelve years and at Scribner from 2001 to 2026, serving as editor-in-chief for twelve years. Harrison is a graduate of Haverford College and the University of Iowa Writers Workshop.