Book Review: "Apples Never Fall" by Liane Moriarty
“Apples Never Fall” by Liane Moriarty
Synopsis: If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?
This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.
The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They're killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they've finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?
The four Delaney children--Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke--were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that's okay, now that they're all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.
One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy's door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.
Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure--but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.
Rating (out of 5): 4.25
Review: Liane Moriarty is on the shortlist of authors I always, always preorder. I still remember being fully engrossed by “The Husband’s Secret” when it came out, tearing through it in a day. I’ve liked some of her books more or less than others, and admit to being generally disappointed by “Nine Perfect Strangers.” However, her newest is a tour de force that renewed my love for her.
Joy Delaney, whom we come to know intimately, is the true gem of the book. An aging retiree who once ran a renowned tennis school with her husband, she now feels that she’s courting irrelevance, as her children enter middle age without producing any grandchildren. She spends her time listening to podcasts to learn about her children’s interests, and is all too aware that they find her a bit silly.
A mysterious visitor, Savannah, arrives one night, fresh out of what would appear to be a violent domestic situation. Joy and Stan take her in unquestioningly, and she ingratiates herself completely, to the befuddlement and annoyance of her children. In a later timeline, Savannah’ no longer with the family, as Joy goes missing, inspiring police attention to Stan’s potential involvement.
Moriarty is skilled at making the quotidian dramatic, and the dramatic quotidian. As the four Delaney children cope differently with their mother’s absence, we are brought on a humorous and mysterious journey to redefine the Delaney’s familial love. True to her other works, the book ties up neatly but not too neatly, satisfying our curiosity while ending on a shocking and unpredictable twist.
TL;DR: Possibly the best new Liane Moriarty since “Big Little Lies.” Don’t miss it!
If you liked this, try:
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (Bookshop | Kindle)
Big Little Lies by LIane Moriarty (Bookshop | Kindle)
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