Apples Never Fall By Liane Moriarty

Grande livro

Ich habe mittlerweile jedes Buch von Liane Moriarty gelesen, meistens im Originalfassung. Man kann jedes ihrer Bücher regelrecht verschlingen. Apples never fall hat einige andere Themen, als die meisten ihrer Bücher. Sie beschreibt die Beziehung zwischen Mutter und Vater dreier erwachsener Kinder, die aus der Perspektive aller fünf komplett anders wahrgenommen wird. Außerdem geht es um eine Mutter-Tochter Beziehung der ungewöhnlichen Art, die gar keine solche ist.

There are parts that drag and you are more than halfway through the book before you really get any information, but I really loved the parts where it was from spectators view points, like others in the community, not close to the situation at all. That was very well done!

Stan and Joy are passionately obsessed with tennis. They try to instill the love of the game in their four children, inadvertently creating rivalry and dysfunction. Moriarty perfectly captures the family love and dysfunction in all its big and small permutations. She demonstrates deftly how the emotional injuries of childhood can shape the lives of the adults they later become. The book is many things: a disappearance mystery, a glimpse into a complicated marriage, a look at complex sibling bonds and a cautionary tale about the ways in which families interact that can have far-reaching repercussions and reverberations. Moriarty moves the story fluidly from past to present and back again. Troy, Amy, Brooke and Logan lead busy lives of varying success. They visit their parents often, who are now sixty-something and adjusting to the slower pace of retirement, after closing their tennis school. Then, inexplicably one night, a battered young girl appears at the Delaney doorstep. Impulsively and incongruously, they allow this stranger into their home. Joy feels a renewed sense of purpose in helping the young woman and Stan is eager for a fresh audience to regale with his tennis triumphs. In gratitude, Savannah cooks for them and becomes a caretaker of sorts. Then, abruptly, Savannah leaves. The entire arrangement baffles all of the adult children, who were grateful and also wary. Then, just as suddenly, Joy disappears. An investigation ensues, leaving Stan and the mysterious houseguest, Savannah, as primary suspects. Family allegiances shift, and bonds are tested and re-examined. And all is not as it seems. This is a compelling tale that is at its best when delving deeply into the intricacies of family dynamics. Moriarty recognizes the mosaic of moments and events that can bolster or shatter one’s life and identity. One can learn from the past or be irrevocably haunted by it. I enjoyed the book, particularly the detailed backstories of each character. You finish the book truly knowing why the characters behaved the way they did. We see their motivations and root for their changes in perspective. The only discordant note for me was the ending. It seemed potentially shocking and gruesome, though the reader is never shown that actual, final outcome. Perhaps leaving it to the imagination is even worse. It is in keeping with the central theme that past events inform the present and the future, but it’s still a dark note to end on an otherwise redemptive story.

Be ready for complex dynamics of family life, warmth, wit and emotional depth. Both an interesting mystery and a moving portrait of relationships, this will have you think upon all the nuances of familial bonds with remarkable authenticity, humour and emotional resonance.
The writing is as crisp and compelling as ever, with Moriarty’s signature ability to shift seamlessly between light-hearted banter and thought-provoking reflections.
Each of the characters is vividly drawn, with their individual struggles adding layers to their imperfect yet profound connections. As the characters navigate their fears and resentments, they rediscover their love for one another in touching, unexpected ways, in a book that is a tender exploration of the power of forgiveness and the enduring strength of family ties.
This will make you laugh and cry, and I do recommended it if any of this calls out to you.