Wild Apples

by Lucinda Franks

After the death of her mother, Augusta Woolsey returns to her once-distinguished family's crumbling Victorian mansion in the Hudson River Valley, and there she attempts the impossible. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction

338 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

My new book, which will be released in August, is called 'Timeless: Love, Morgenthau, and Me.' It's an intimate memoir about my husband, Robert Morgenthau, NY's former DA for 35 years, and me; the successes, trials, adventures, both traumatic and hilarious, of our marriage. It also gives inside information about my husband's most famous cases - The Central Park Jogger, Astor Elder Abuse, BCCI, Tyco, Goetz and others. It has gotten some wonderful reviews from prominent writers. It's available on Amazon for pre-ordering.
I am the author of four books: 'My Father's Secret War: A Memoir', 'Wild Apples': a novel, and 'Waiting Out A War: The exile of John Picciano.'
I am also a journalist who was on the staff of The New York Times, and have written for The New Yorker, New York magazine, The Daily Beast and other publications.

I have two children with my husband, five stepchildren, a little puffy white dog, and a couple of cats who come visiting from my daughters' apartment nearby.
My husband, after his retirement as DA, still works - he is at Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz law firm - and writes Op Ed pieces on the persecution of immigrants and the desperate need for treatment of soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has gone from being an objective prosecutor to being a passionate crusader. It is great to see him flourish at such an advanced age in his second career.
But Bob is a farmer at heart, and we love to go up to our apple orchards and vegetable farm in the lower Hudson valley, which our son Josh, 30, has made into an organic enterprise. At Fishkill Farms, there are new free range chickens, and at the big farm store, fresh pressed cider and other natural and homemade foods.

Reviews

[Sarah Papp · Rating 2 out of 5]

The imagery and style of writing is quite simple. I think this story would really speak to people who need help viewing their family in a nuanced perspective. Augusta and Nellie’s entire problem could be described in the one word of egocentric. This made me resent them yet also find comfort in them.

I particularly did not care much for Augusta and Nellie by the end of the story. I loved their dynamic of being sisters and how complicated those feelings are for them. This was the strength of the story. Yet, for me my apathy started when the character Will was introduced. A huge fail for the Bechdel test. The complexity of their sisterhood died the second it became centered around pleasing a man.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I didn't like at all, hated, was fascinated by the way it made you think, and just couldn't stop reading. It definitely makes one think about family, older and modern day issues. As I said, "Love it? Hate it?"

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me way longer than it should have to read this book, because I really didn't care much for it. The last chapter was actually the best, and not only because it was the LAST chapter.

[Joyce]

heavy

[Kaitlin Torp · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it. Don't have time to waste on horrible dialog.