Description
Description
The town of Whistle Pig, like the mountains that surround it, can appear unchanging, as immutable as geography. The lives of the characters in the linked stories in Patricia Henley's Apple & Palm contrast with that predictability. After vowing he'd never go home to Appalachia, DJ Diggs returns from Chicago to his family of origin after a Pride Prom fire that leaves his niece disfigured; Roxy, a centenarian, convinces her grandson's pregnant wife to move into the artist's co-op; Ham Zebrak and Adele Pratt, an elderly pair, spend the night together trying to stir up the ghost of sexual chemistry. Apple & Palm is a provocative close-up examination of aging, memory, and desire.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Stirring . . . Henley's tales remain finely attuned to the characters' discomforts, desires, and moments of revelation amidst social expectations."
-Booklist
"Apple & Palm immediately makes clear we're in the hands of a master of the form . . . each of the eight stories in this collection is as immersive and rich as a novel."
-The Rumpus
"[Henley's] mastery of the genre not only glistens, it tugs at heart and mind. . . . Flawed but fully human, [her characters] both inspire and entertain."
-Turned Page Review
"Masterfully done. . . . Henley's writing is a feat of balance and artistry."
-The Indypendent
"Henley's characters feel so real, and so lived-in, more authentic than some people I've met in real life."
-Turn & Work
"Subtle, nuanced, and masterfully told."
-Andrew Porter, author of The Imagined Life
"We have all stood at the intersection of Apple & Palm, but only Patricia Henley could deliver such involving, heartening, memorable stories about what happened there and beyond."
-Jo-Anne Mapson, author of The Return of Lindsay Moon
"These deeply atmospheric, sensuous, richly textured stories have a Winesburgian feel. Wonderfully imagined and compassionately told, Apple & Palm acts like a dark mirror: it holds our gaze."
-Joan Frank, author of Juniper Street
"A salty, earned wisdom pervades Apple & Palm. . . . A masterful collection that will surprise and charm the reader."
-Rob Davidson, author of Welcome Back to the World
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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