Where the Orchard Ends

Twelve-year-old Wren Harper hasn't spoken in seventy-three days, not since the morning she found her mother unresponsive in their apartment. When she's sent to live with a grandmother she barely knows, Wren retreats further into silence, until she discovers a starving Appaloosa mare trapped in a ravine. Wren names the horse Talowa, a skittish, wounded creature who seems to understand her grief. As Wren secretly nurses Talowa back to health, a fragile connection forms. But when a stranger begins asking questions about a missing horse, Wren must find her voice to protect the one being who understands her without words. Where the Orchard Ends is a contemporary middle grade novel that explores themes of grief, selective mutism, family estrangement, animal rescue, and emotional healing. A poignant, character-driven story for readers aged 9-14, it is especially suited for classroom libraries and youth reading programs focused on resilience, empathy, and personal growth.