Set in the Napa Valley at the turn of the century, this novel beautifully evokes the characters' love of the land and the rhythms of life lived close to the earth and its seasons. Spirited Alda Pendle is the daughter of a viticulturist who has taught her his craft. When he dies, leaving her without property, her skills make her indispensable to the solitary owner of one of the old vineyards in the valley. The novel provides a vivid history of winemaking in California to the Prohibition era.
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"Not until now has any book captured the tang of the rain-blown eucalyptus, the curve of the tawny hills, the furious salty smell of the bay marshes. . . . The Vineyard is undoubtedly a regional novel, because it is about a region which could as easily be Burgundy or the Rhone as Napa Valley, but it is a rare one because it makes the people who live in that region not only alive in themselves but a true part of the soil they live on. It is in a completely simple and real way a long song, and it is as heartening as wine to read." -- M.F.K. Fisher, Books
From the Inside Flap
"The book is structured along the sequence of the vineyard year, from planting to harvest, so that every essential process of grape growing and winemaking comes in for its due attention. Jones knows about the various crises of disease and of economics that troubled the industry, and he identifies and describes the kinds of wine, good and bad, that were sold in the state."--Thomas Pinney, author of A History of Wine in America
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In love with California?,
By volitant "-" (Central Coast of CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Vineyard (California Fiction) (Paperback)
This is a fine tale of people at the turn of the last century, farming and loving the land that they live on. This book is for readers who want to get away to a time before automobiles, television, and moving pictures took over our lives. The backdrop of history can lead one to explore other California and Western U.S. topics such as the settling Northern California, the discovery of silver and the Comstock Lode, the lives of Chinese in California, the Swiss-Itallian immigrant, migration from the southern part of California, the history of the grape vine for table grapes and wine production, and how prohibition affected the early wine industry. It also explores the complex relationships of families formed by marriage, adoption, and long-term working relationships.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
"Falcon Crest" meets "A Walk in the Clouds",
By A Customer
This review is from: The Vineyard (California Fiction) (Paperback)
I work in a winery. This book describes the area and the industry as they were 100 years ago. This is the part i liked best. But the plot is just a soap opera, complete with damsels in distress, villains, rick bastards, etc. Do not read this book if you are planning your vacation to the Napa Valley :-)
5.0 out of 5 stars
fast,
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This review is from: The Vineyard (California Fiction) (Paperback)
It seemed I had only just ordered this book when it arrived. It arrived in excellent shape, was wrapped well, and was even better than I expected.
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