“Some women can touch a man and heal like Jesus. The man who sees sunrise from a Belle woman’s bed will swear he’s been born again.”
So begins Paula Wall’s funny, poignant, and sexy novel, The Rock Orchard. Musette Belle could lay her hand on a baby’s heart and see his life as if he’d already lived it. Even in death, she continues to shock the good citizens of Leaper’s Fork, Tennessee, and her descendents are doing their best to carry on her legacy. Angela Belle, a haunting and beautiful siren, lures every man she meets into greatness, while her illegitimate and very independent daughter, Dixie, serves tea and vanilla wafers to the statue of the Confederate soldier she believes is her father. But when Charlotte Belle, a woman who would rather spend the night with Jack Daniels than any man she knows, seduces a stranger in the cemetery, it not only transforms the two people involved but the entire town.
Blending sensuality, wisdom, and wry wit to create a truly unique love story, The Rock Orchard is about the strength of community, the might of God, and the ultimate power of extraordinary women.
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"Paula Wall has become my Heroine when it comes to writing. As a friend of mine summed it up, "she slays me with her style." This is a brilliant read, with haunting characters that stayed with me for some time. This is a tale of family, love, lust, and choices - the steaming South of the 1920's is the backdrop. A must-read for anyone who desires quality writing and remarkable story-telling."
— Jen (5 out of 5 stars)
" I laughed out loud when I read this book. I have no idea why. It is a REALLY light read! Read it in two days. If you like stories about strong-willed women, give this one a try. "
— Redgeorgiadawg, 2/18/2014" This was fun book to read. A little slow at first but keep moving forward. This book really did make me laugh out loud. I think I will read other books by Mrs. Paula Wall, she has the sassy southern down to a point. I like the Bell women but liked the country folks more. "
— Shannon, 2/16/2014" a great escape! "
— Debi, 2/15/2014" A great southern tale with fun characters, "
— Julie, 2/15/2014" Read the book. Loved the writing style, but the story need a plot. It was more a good character sketch than a story with a beginning, middle and ending. "
— Ruth, 2/13/2014" Read this for my book club; we're then reading the screenplay for the optioned novel. Surprisingly not bad. Not something I ever would have picked up on my own, then I found I had trouble putting it down! "
— Kim, 2/9/2014" This book sucks you in to the story from the first page. The characters are alive and so interesting! A small southern town has an interesting woman character who is different than the typical Southern Belle we've all grown up hearing about. She lives her life on her terms, along with her niece. Very very good, could not put it down. "
— Carmen, 1/23/2014" I like the fact that the plot wasn't really "introduced" until the last third of the book. The quirky characters were interesting and some of the humor was just my style. Reading a book in three hours and feeling like I know some of the characters is fun "
— Amanda, 1/11/2014" Someone a book full of every cliche in the world was engaging and fun. I couldn't wait to see how it ended! "
— Valeried4, 12/15/2013" In heavy rotation in my reread pile. Delightful, saucy and full of southern flair. "
— Amy, 12/10/2013" Easy read! Loved it. "
— Kelly, 12/8/2013" While the story itself was not terrific, I do think the author has a gift for words. "
— Angie, 12/7/2013" Well even though the second half was better than the first, I was still not impressed. There were a couple of parts that made me laugh out loud, but that's about it. "
— Jamie, 11/25/2013" While there were some good parts to this book, overall I wasn't crazy about it. It had too much sex/sexual innuendos. "
— Linda, 11/22/2013" A nice easy read. Cute story and narration. Though, it did seem like there were several stories going on that didn't seem to join together in the end. The ending seemed abrupt and strange. But never-the-less...a nice book. I have no idea where the title of the book falls into play either. "
— Carolyn, 11/22/2013" My mom passed this on saying it was "different". What needs to be recognized here is that different is not bad. I enjoyed the southern vs. northern aspect and in the end there were multiple happy endings so I liked it. "
— Teresa, 10/13/2013" This book was very well written, they premise of the story is sometimes hard to grasp. I enjoyed it and read it quickly but it is not something i wiil forever remember. "
— Cheryl, 10/4/2013" I love southern writers. This was a good quirky read. I loved the characters - even those I didn't like! Serious subject with good dose of southern humor and insight. "
— Cathy, 5/2/2013" Relatively low maintenance summer read. Lovely images and tight resolution. "
— Jason, 4/24/2013" I loved this book. It was very entertaining. The characters are memorable. It does have some language and sex but not graphic. The author is a good story teller. "
— Librarychic456, 3/14/2013" A little Alice Hoffman-esque but not as dark, and more Southern. A good summer read -- entertaining, interesting characters, not too deep. "
— Abigail, 2/22/2013" Loved the story line. This book had everything from murder to romance. Once started I could hardly put down! "
— Denise, 11/18/2012" First novel by Paula Wall and the beginning of a sweet addiction. This woman can write like no other. I pray that she will live to be a thousand and write every second of every day. Southern fiction that defies any label. "
— Helen, 8/15/2012" Pleasantly surprised by this impromptu pick at the library. A fun read that had me chuckling throughout "
— Traceeellis2, 6/24/2012" Delightful romp. "
— Granny, 10/19/2011" Love this book! Another one of my favourites! Amazing characters, and character relationships. Although somewhat predictable, it is an awesome book. Highly recommended. "
— Kristi, 8/13/2011" I could not get into this book at all - so many random things going on but nothing fully developed, and no characters I could care about. The idea was interesting but the execution did not deliver. "
— Joan, 7/27/2011" THANKS JO! i LOVED this book as much as Garden Spells... i found myself smiling most of the way thru it!! in my other life i would choose to be a Belle!! <br/>great southern read!! def recommend it to ALL!!! GO GET IT NOW!! "
— Mich, 2/28/2011" Pleasantly surprised by this impromptu pick at the library. A fun read that had me chuckling throughout "
— Traceeellis2, 11/16/2010" Funny, poignant. Steamy, sexy and full of heart. Not sure how I stumbled upon this one, but it was worth it. Not on my list of best ever reads, but I am glad I read it. "
— Kristin, 10/17/2010" Excellent!! I laughed out loud, I cried (mostly laughed)...now I'm sad it's ended. "
— Michele, 2/1/2010" A book of strong female heroines. A theme of female empowerment tucked into a story of life with the non-conformist Belle women and the joy and tribulations they bring to a small southern town. "
— Kristi, 11/24/2009" Loved every minute of this novel. The characters are so well developed, it doesn't need a plot. The story is spellbinding, and Wall's style is addictive. Don't miss this. "
— Maggie, 11/19/2009" I really enjoyed this book. Strong, non-conformist women and laugh aloud wit. Easy read. "
— Cara, 11/16/2009" While the story itself was not terrific, I do think the author has a gift for words. "
— Angie, 11/4/2009" Loved this book - read it in a day! This is why I love Goodreads so much; because this is an older book I probably would never have found it in the library on my own. "
— Karen, 11/2/2009" Laugh out loud phrases. A good, fast, light, read with likable characters. "
— Joni, 11/2/2009Paula Wall is the author of several books, including one that was a semifinalist for the Thurber Prize. She currently lives outside of Nashville in a converted barn on 150 acres at the foot of the Highland Rim. Her nearest neighbor is one mile down the road, which, frankly, is a little too close for comfort.
Susan Ericksen is an actor and voice-over artist. She has been awarded numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actor and director, she has worked in theaters throughout the country.