Product Description

Murphy McGowen has bright green eyes, a reputation as the wildest girl in Bridgewater, and a way of getting out of all the trouble she gets into. But when she's caught stealing from the Darlington Orchard, she's forced to repay her debt picking peaches in the hot Georgia sun.

Leeda Cawley-Smith has professionally whitened teeth and the softest skin her boyfriend has ever touched. Unfortunately, Leeda's parents aren't too keen on her being touched anymore. Now Leeda's country-club summer is out the window -- she'll be getting a serious sock tan working at her uncle's peach orchard instead.

Birdie Darlington used to dance around her family's orchard picking peaches for fun. But now that her parents are getting divorced, Birdie would rather spend the summer in the A/C eating Thin Mints than pick another peach -- too bad she doesn't have a choice.

Thrown together at Darlington Orchard, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie discover what it means to find a real soul mate, and that sometimes cute boys know a lot about peach cider. And, of course, they learn the trick to picking a perfect peach. One thing's for sure -- it's going to be a juicy summer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1548416 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–During a summer at the Darlington Peach Orchard in Georgia, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie discover the true meaning of friendship despite their differences. Murphy, a bright, sarcastic 16-year-old from the wrong side of town, is completing community service at the orchard. Wealthy Leeda lives in her perfect older sister's shadow. She decides to work at her uncle's orchard on a whim and then is too proud to change her mind. Birdie Darlington is trying to keep the farm running despite the fact that her mother has left and her father refuses to face the desperate straits that the business is in. As the summer progresses, the girls bond and realize that you cannot judge someone by her financial or family situation. The characters are realistic and the dialogue is fresh. Readers looking for light reading will not be disappointed.–Angela M. Boccuzzi-Reichert, Merton Williams' Middle School, Hilton, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Anderson's debut reads like a first cousin to Ann Brashares' Traveling Pants series. Here, rather than the perfect pair of jeans, it's an intoxicating peach orchard that works its magic on three teens, brought together to pick fruit in the summer before their last year of high school. Shy, awkward Birdie, the homeschooled daughter of the Darlington Orchard's owners; Leeda, Birdie's gorgeous, wealthy, "kind of cold and uptight" cousin; and restless, rebellious Murphy discover in one another a strong, unlikely friendship that helps each girl move past her own limitations and open herself to thrilling possibilities. The Darlington's financial troubles, overtures from a sleazy developer, and several dreamy romantic interests add tension and intrigue to the friendship story. Interspersed vignettes of momentous scenes from the orchard's past add to the setting's mysterious aura, and Anderson's vivid descriptions of the scented rows of trees, buzzing with heat and life, echo the restlessness of her well-drawn teen characters. A charming, breezy choice for strong and reluctant readers alike. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“Anderson’s tale encapsulates the state of ennui and anticipation that accompanies the last stretch of adolescence.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“Funny, free, and utterly imaginative, Jodi Lynn Anderson’s writing is packed with loveliness. Peaches is a sweet and delicious read (New York Times best–selling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashares )