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A review by madlnt
Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth
5.0
In his poignant, free-verse memoir, Eric Gansworth explores the liminal spaces of his youth. Commencing the book and weaving throughout is the impact of his grandparents’ time at Carlisle Indian Industrial School on their descendants, addressing a horror experienced by many Indigenous North Americans.
“Apple” is a Native slur that refers to someone “left in that space between two places…red on the outside, white on the inside”. As the youngest child in a family of Onondaga living on a Tuscarora reservation, Eric occupies many spaces by halves. He longs for a deeper understanding of his Native culture while joyfully exploring the pop culture delights of comic books (in particular Batman) and The Beatles. These elements weave seamlessly throughout chapter titles and family reunions to depict the turmoil of adolescence. Siblings and older relatives leave and return, while younger generations work to reclaim their heritage through language and tradition.
Interspersed with illustrations and photographs by the author, the memoir’s dry humor, melancholic nostalgia, and strong narrative voice successfully confront the multi-generational consequences of residential schools while telling the story of a young boy struggling to find his place in the world. Winner of the American Indian Youth Literature and Michael L. Printz Awards, this book will fill out even the most well-rounded young adult (and beyond) collection.
“Apple” is a Native slur that refers to someone “left in that space between two places…red on the outside, white on the inside”. As the youngest child in a family of Onondaga living on a Tuscarora reservation, Eric occupies many spaces by halves. He longs for a deeper understanding of his Native culture while joyfully exploring the pop culture delights of comic books (in particular Batman) and The Beatles. These elements weave seamlessly throughout chapter titles and family reunions to depict the turmoil of adolescence. Siblings and older relatives leave and return, while younger generations work to reclaim their heritage through language and tradition.
Interspersed with illustrations and photographs by the author, the memoir’s dry humor, melancholic nostalgia, and strong narrative voice successfully confront the multi-generational consequences of residential schools while telling the story of a young boy struggling to find his place in the world. Winner of the American Indian Youth Literature and Michael L. Printz Awards, this book will fill out even the most well-rounded young adult (and beyond) collection.