ORCHARD KEEPER, THE

AnAmericanclassic,TheOrchardKeeperisthefirstnovelbyoneofAmerica'sfinest,mostcelebratednovelists.Setisasmall,remotecommunityinruralTennesseeintheyearsbetweenthetwoworldwars,ittellsofJohnWesleyRattner,ayoungboy,andMarionSylder,anoutlawandbootleggerwho,unbeknownsttoeitherofthem,haskilledtheboy'sfather.TogetherwithRattner'sUncleAther,whobelongstoaformerageinhiscommunionwithnatureandhisstoicindependence,theyenactadramathatseemsbornofthelanditself.Allthreeareheroesofanintenseandcompellingcelebrationofvalueslosttotimeandindustrialization.