Wartime Romance
The Orchard Notebook
"A leather notebook found in a root cellar reveals letters between a German POW and the farmer's wife whose husband was fighting in Europe."
✦ Perfect if you loved All the Light We Cannot See or The Nightingale
Your first letter ships within 3–5 business days. The anticipation is part of the fun.
"I cried at a property deed. That's all you need to know."
— Sarah, 42
"The apple metaphors. The restraint. The last page. I'm ruined."
— Diana, 55
The Experience
Open the Notebook
A leather notebook was found in a root cellar during renovation work on a farmhouse in Milton, New York, in 2019. Inside: fourteen letters, one diary fragment, a War Department repatriation order, a property deed — and a pressed apple blossom, species Malus domestica, variety consistent with Baldwin.
The letters begin in September 1943, when a German prisoner of war named Friedrich Engel writes an apology to the farmer's wife for bruising a Cortland apple. Her reply is five sentences long. It concerns how to handle bruised fruit. It changes everything.
Over fourteen months of correspondence, their language shifts — his formality dissolving, her directness deepening — until the letters become something neither can name and neither is willing to stop.
A Taste of What Awaits
Read a Sample Letter
Mrs. Schmidt,
I must apologize for the Cortland apple.
It was the third basket of the afternoon, and my hands were not yet accustomed to the work. In Stuttgart I taught piano and violin to children between the ages of seven and fourteen. My fingers know the weight of a bow, the specific pressure required to hold a half-note without wavering. They do not yet know apples.
The bruise was small — the size of a thumbprint, along the left side where the skin turns from red to green. I set the apple aside rather than place it in the basket with the others. I did not think you would want a damaged fruit among the sound ones.
You should know that I have handled the remaining baskets without incident. The Cortlands are not as firm as I expected. They give under the fingers more readily than the Macouns, which are dense and hold their shape even when you grip too tightly. I find I prefer the Cortlands for this reason. They require attention. You must pay respect to what you are holding, or the evidence of your carelessness remains.
— Friedrich Engel, Prisoner of War, Camp Shanks Labor Detail, September 1943
Your Year-Long Journey
24 Letters. 24 Revelations.
Each envelope peels back another layer. Here's a glimpse of the arc — no spoilers, we promise.
The Bruised Apple
A formal apology that begins everything.
What the Neighbors Say
A husband's letter that changes the distance.
Christmas Alone
A diary entry never meant to be read.
The Photograph
Apple trees and declarations in disguise.
The Last Harvest
Love declared for the first and possibly last time.
Repatriation Orders
Cold bureaucratic language. A pressed blossom.
The Deed
A name on a property deed that answers everything.
Between these chapters, 17 more letters fill in the silences — each one a piece of the puzzle.
The Characters
Meet the People Behind the Letters
Every story includes period photographs — the kind you'd find tucked between the pages of a forgotten journal.
Friedrich Engel — a portrait from his teaching days in Stuttgart, before the war took everything but his hands and his words.
Ilse Schmidt — photographed by a neighbor in the orchard, autumn 1942. She didn't know anyone was watching.
More Than Just a Letter
What Arrives at Your Door
Wax-Sealed Envelope
A heavyweight envelope sealed with a tree-branch crest — each delivery feels like opening a root cellar.
Aged Parchment Letter
Written in character on tea-stained paper — as though pulled from a leather notebook hidden for seventy-five years.
Pressed Apple Blossom
A real pressed blossom accompanies a key letter — the same variety mentioned in the correspondence.
Official Documents
A repatriation order and property deed — institutional cold that makes the love letters burn brighter.
Period Photographs
Portraits and orchard scenes that bring Friedrich, Ilse, and the Hudson Valley to life.
Reading Prompts
Select letters include reflections on wartime love, moral complexity, and what grows in secret.
What Our Readers Say
Stories from Real Subscribers
14
Letters in the series
1943–1949
Years spanned
75 years
Hidden in a root cellar
"I read the last letter — a property deed — and sat in silence for ten minutes. I have never cried at a legal document before."
Sarah, 42
Portland, US
"The restraint is what makes it devastating. These two people fall in love through apple metaphors and I fell in love with them."
Diana, 55
Chicago, US
"My book club read one letter a week and discussed it over wine. Best thing we've done in years."
Lauren, 47
Austin, US
"Fourteen letters. One notebook. A love story hidden in a root cellar for seventy-five years. The first letter is waiting — will you open it?"
Your story begins with a single envelope. Choose your plan and let the mystery unfold.
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The Gift She'll Never Forget
How Gifting Works
Three simple steps to give someone a year of mystery, wonder, and beautifully crafted letters.
Choose & Purchase
Pick a story and a plan. Select 'Gift for Her' at checkout to add a personalised message.
Share the Surprise
Receive a beautiful printable gift card — perfect for birthdays, Mother's Day, or just because.
Letters Begin
On your chosen date, her first letter arrives — sealed with wax. A year of wonder unfolds, one envelope at a time.
"My mother cried when she got the first letter. Best gift I've ever given." — Helena, 39
Questions?
