Apples Never Fall

 Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty is a mystery told with an enjoyable, stunning wit that I’ve come to expect from a Moriarty novel.

On an ordinary evening, a young, pretty woman randomly knocks at the door of retired tennis instructors Joy and Stan Delaney. This stranger, Savannah, claims she is a victim of domestic violence and has nowhere else to go. The Delaneys take her in and give her a place to stay indefinitely. What is Savannah really doing there was the question in my mind. 

A year after Savannah’s arrival, Joy goes missing and Stan is the prime suspect in her disappearance. Their marriage was on the rocks at this time. The detective handling the case, Christina Khoury, noted that the scratches on Stan’s face look like defensive wounds. Also, it was two of the Delaney children who reported her missing, not Stan, which also made Christina more suspicious of him. She interviews each of the Delaneys and senses the deep dysfunction within the family.

As the story unfolds, we learn about the Delaneys’ marriages, temperaments, betrayals, resentments, former tennis students, family dynamics and disappointing tennis careers. Although they are an interesting bunch of characters, much of the book is this - making me feel like the mystery of Joy's disappearance is lost in the family history. On the other hand, maybe the solution is hidden in all these details.

Halfway through Apples Never Fall, a piece of information about Stan’s family life is revealed. I believe this is key in knowing who Savannah is and why she’s there. I really thought I had it all figured out, but the more I read, the more I had doubts, which is a credit to Liane Moriarty’s writing. Just when you think you know what's going on, she throws you a subtle curve that keeps you guessing.

Finally, when the truth came out about Savannah. It was nothing that I imagined it would be, as hard as I tried. My initial reaction to her motivation was that it's sort of silly. However, by the time I finished the book, it made more sense to me. Additionally, the revelation that came out as a result of Savannah’s disclosure, I didn’t buy either at first, but after reading more and giving it some thought, I could see where the situation could be plausible.

And then, at last, the truth about what happened to Joy Delaney is revealed. It is somewhat of a surprise to me, I suppose. Honestly, I was too busy wondering what the deal was with Savannah that I really didn’t think about solving Joy’s disappearance.

While not a perfect book, there is more than enough there to recommend it. There were many moments - even at the height of its drama - when I found myself laughing out loud. Also, because it kept me guessing, I wanted to keep on reading.

I also have to acknowledge Caroline Lee, narrator of the audiobook. She truly makes a Moriarty novel a fun experience.

On a final note about Apples Never Fall, its story ends at the beginning of the pandemic. Moriarty’s writing about this period of time is spot-on and so eloquent, and of course, done with a little bit of humor too.

E-mail: mariabookbanter@gmail.com

Surviving Savannah

 

Surviving Savannah is the beautifully written novel by Patti Callahan, which tells the story of an old prominent Southern family who are onboard an ill-fated passenger steamboat, a present-day art historian researching the ship’s sinking, and the City of Savannah. In this tale of survival, we meet 3 young women. All of whom are facing distinct challenges of life.

First, there's Everly Winthrop. Everly is an Art History professor, who has been asked to curate an exhibit of artifacts from The Pulaski, which sank off the coast of North Carolina in 1838. While working on this project, Everly must confront her own past as she is haunted by the untimely death of her best friend, Moira. She searches for meaning in both tragedies. She will take a dangerous risk to find answers that leads her on a spiritual journey.

Lilly Forsyth is a passenger on The Pulaski along with her husband, daughter, their nursemaid and the rest of Lilly’s family. She is in a horrible marriage with an abusive, controlling husband with no way to escape. However, The Pulaski’s disaster and its frantic evacuation may be a way out for Lilly.

Also onboard is Lilly’s young aunt, Augusta Longstreet. At the age of 22, Augusta has seen heartache since she has lost her fiancé weeks before their wedding. She is hoping to find love again with Henry McMillan, another passenger on The Pulaski.

As strange as it may sound, my favorite parts of the book were the evacuation and the hours after when Lilly and Augusta were adrift in the Atlantic. The events described were based on actual accounts from those who survived The Pulaski’s sinking. Even though these chapters were terrifying, there was something thrilling about them that held my attention.

Moreover, I wanted to see what came next for Lilly and Augusta if they survived the catastrophe. Would they have brighter, happier futures? Their will to live would have to prevail. Although these 2 characters are fictional, they were inspired by real people who were on The Pulaski the night it sank.

Another fascinating aspect was the narrative of Charles Longstreet. Based on a real-life survivor, Charles at 14-years-old was known as the “Noble Boy” because of the kindness he showed to other survivors while they were waiting to be rescued. Unfortunately, in later years, Charles would become a notorious slave trader who earned the nickname the “Red Devil”. Why did Charles’ life take such an evil turn? I think there are no easy answers to that question.

Also, the inhumanity of slavery, class privilege, coming to terms with the past and what happens to survivors after a tragedy are all important themes in this novel. It is truly a book of substance.

If I have one criticism, it would be the way Everly’s story ended. Not wanting to give away too much here - so, I’ll just say it was a bit too cliché for me. I kind of wish the author would have gone in another direction. However, this shouldn’t dissuade anyone from delving into this novel.

I'm so glad I chose Surviving Savannah to be the topic of my second blog post. I picked it without knowing anything about the book or its author, but its description sounded wonderful. Often, when a book seems like it would be promising, I am left feeling disappointed. This definitely wasn’t the case with Surviving Savannah. I look forward to reading more books by Patti Callahan.

E-mail: mariabookbanter@gmail.com

The Plot

 

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is where I got the idea to do a book blog. So, I think it’s fitting that it should be the topic of my first post.

In this story we meet Jake Finch Bonner, a young writer who has achieved moderate success with his first novel. He's trying to recapture the same with subsequent books, but so far, he has failed spectacularly.

In the meantime, Jake is also employed as a writing instructor at an unimpressive college in a substandard MFA program. That’s where he meets Evan Parker, a cocky aspiring novelist who is one of Jake’s students. Evan boasts about the novel he's working on – saying the plot is so unbelievably original and creative that the book is sure to be a worldwide best seller. At first, Jake secretly dismisses Evan’s outrageous claims, but after hearing Evan’s plot, he is utterly astonished. Jake believes this book will be a phenomenon.

A couple years later, we find Jake still struggling as a writer – and in his personal life - when he remembers Evan’s amazing story. Jake pens the novel Crib heavily based off of this plot. Both Jake and Evan were right. Crib is a smash hit!

With his newfound success, Jake is on top of the world. Book tours, special appearances, Oprah’s Book Club, a movie deal, a new relationship, Jake has everything he’s ever wanted. That's when the stuff hits the proverbial fan. Jake receives an online message from someone named Talented Tom saying “You are a thief”.

As the story progresses, its suspense comes and goes as Jake sets off on an investigation – a process that is a bit too drawn out for me - to discover exactly who Talented Tom is, and what he wants. At times, I wondered if Jake was barking up the wrong tree with his inquiries.

Additionally, excerpts of Crib are sprinkled throughout the book, allowing the reader to get a feel for this alleged fantastic novel. In my humble opinion, the plot of Crib does not live up to its hype and left me wondering why the big to-do over this book.

In the end, I believe if you’re really paying attention to The Plot’s narrative, you will figure out who Talented Tom is, as I did.

 

E-mail: mariabookbanter@gmail.com