REVIEW: EIGHT HUNDRED GRAPES, BY LAURA DAVE

 

 

Georgia Ford grew up in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma County, California, and even though she left her family’s home to seek a different way of life, the values she learned at home formed the core of her. In LA, she is a real estate lawyer and her fiancé is an architect, but she has never forgotten her family and home.

So as her wedding day approaches, she is eager to enjoy the comfort of the family, with her parents, and brothers Finn and Bobby, and the celebration of the Last Harvest party that will happen just days before her wedding.

But on the day she is trying on her wedding dress for final alterations, she glances out the window and is stunned to see her fiancé Ben in a situation that will change everything. His secrets will alter the course of their lives. She flees the store, still wearing the wedding dress, and drives up to Sebastopol, expecting the comfort of the familiar home and family.

However, more secrets await her there, as she walks in on an unexpected series of events. Will Georgia find a way to face what has happened to her, and what is unfolding before her at the winery?

Eight Hundred Grapes: A Novel was a light and enjoyable read, with plenty of drama, especially the kind that occurs in families all the time, but in Georgia’s situation, everything seems to be happening at once. But could the events unfolding be a form of synchronization, something her father has always believed in? A coordination of events operating in union? Will everything that is happening signify that something better is just around the corner?

Narrated from Georgia’s first person perspective, the story flows back and forth in time, showing the beginnings of the vineyards and The Last Straw winery, and offering a glimpse of the characters in a variety of situations. Without revealing too much of the story’s details, I will simply say that I was not sure how everything would turn out, as there were some unexpected turns at the last minute, but as I reached the conclusion, I sighed with satisfaction. 4.5 stars.