The Cider House Rules by John Irving

This is not a book that you could describe as enjoyable and I’ve enjoyed reading all the Irving books I’ve read (New Hampshire, Owen Meany, Garp and even the weird hand transplant one!). I'm not saying it's bad, it's not. It's just certainly not fun to read.

It's about the people, of course, all of Irving's books are character driven. You think it's all heading to a particular point and then it gets to that point and brushes past it and gets on with the tale without making any kind of big deal about the huge moment you could feel coming, and thought was going to change the entire trajectory.

The context of this one is unwanted pregnancies, orphans, and abortions. And then love and family and relationships as always.

Wilbur Larch is a doctor. As a very young doctor, in the early 1900s, someone he refuses someone an abortion and then they die from a botched attempt at which point he realises that he needs to provide a service and save lives. He opens an orphanage and secretly performs abortions for those who need them.

Homer Wells is an orphan raised in the orphanage. After four failed attempts at adoption, they decide he should stay with the orphanage and ends up being taken under the wing of the Doctor and trained up. Homer, however, refused to do abortions. He doesn't disagree with them in theory but will not do them himself.

Candy and Wally are a young unmarried couple from a nearby town who come to the orphanage because she is pregnant and they know it is not the right time for them. They run an orchard and are very well off. Homer ends up leaving with them to experience the world.

Melony is another orphan who is never adopted. She is angry. She loves and is reliant on Homer and has made him promise to never leave without her so when he does she is devasted, even angrier and runs away to find him.

There are other key characters, but I don't want to give away any plot points!

The years pass, Homer stays at the farm, and is in love with Candy. Wilbur gets older and older and worries about who will help the mothers once he's gone. Wally heads of to war as a pilot. Melony makes a life for herself but carries on trying to find Homer. 

It's a book that keeps you reading because Irving has a way of engaging you with the characters even when the story is really hard going. But because of the way it doesn't make a big deal of any of what you think are going to be the major plot moments, it does feel a bit like it's just drifting and sometimes you're left a bit unsatisfied with the story. However, I didn’t ever want to stop reading because I wanted to know what was in store for them all but there were times I was reading just to get to the end so that I didn’t have to read it anymore! Which is the greatest recommendation for a book, really is it?!