56 pages • 1 hour read
Eric GansworthApple: Skin to the Core
Nonfiction | Memoir in Verse | YA | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Apple by Eric Gansworth is a memoir in verse that reflects on his upbringing within the Haudenosaunee community, focusing on intergenerational trauma resulting from colonialism, his family's history, and his personal journey to self-understanding and cultural reconnection. The narrative is interwoven with references to The Beatles' music and Gansworth’s love for art and superheroes. The text includes discussions of anti-Indigenous racism, colonial violence, cultural genocide, child abuse, and substance abuse.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Eric Gansworth's Apple has garnered praise for its compelling and heartfelt exploration of Native American identity. Reviewers highlight its poignant storytelling and evocative illustrations. However, some critics note a lack of narrative cohesion. Overall, the memoir is praised for its raw honesty and cultural insights, despite occasional structural weaknesses.
Who Should Read Apple?
Readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories, Indigenous narratives, and poetic memoirs will enjoy Eric Gansworth's Apple. Fans of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give will find similar themes of identity, struggle, and resilience.