The Apple Orchards: An Historical-Fictional Account of 300 Years of Powell Orchards Planted in Pennsylvania and Ohio

In the late 1600's a Quaker named Thomas Powell left his home in Wales and came to America. Along with his family, he brought two treasures to the new world: his belief in God and apple seedlings. Both would be an enduring heritage for his family, passed down to his children and children's children as they worked to settle the land and build a nation. This historical novel by Vera Powell Glenn follows members of the Powell family through three centuries of development and change. They established homes, planted orchards, married, bore children, and fought for the land in which they could worship in freedom. Ten generations after Thomas Powell first set foot on William Penn's land, his descendant, David Sylvanus Powell, returned to Pennsylvania. David's move, like his ancestor's, was prompted by his family's religion. The story of his life frames The Apple Orchards, and celebrates a continuing harvest of natural and spiritual fruit.