The Last Orange Grove

About the Book

The Last Orange Grove is about both historical and present day southern California. A fourth generation native tries to make sense of the diverse people who currently inhabit his home state. Incorporated into the story are love, satire, art and literature. It includes people seeking their dreams in California from "back east," as well as those first Europeans who accompanied Portola and Father Serra in the 1700's, who similarly imposed their dreams on a native locale. The story alternates from Indian village to freeway to surfline, while the characters accommodate commerce, hypocrisy, grief, and disparate visions of California's future.

About the Author

Stephen Cline is a fourth generation Californian, husband of twenty eight years, and father of twins. He chairs the English Department of a preparatory school in Santa Barbara, teaching literature and creative writing. Stephen holds a Masters in Literature, is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and has received a NEH fellowship. He has worked professionally as musician, visual artist, and writer. His fiction, non-fiction, and cartoons have appeared in magazines, professional journals, newspapers, and literary anthologies in the U.S. and Great Britain. Stephen learned to body surf as a small boy on his father’s back.