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Uchenna's Apples
In a new short novel by Diane Duane, three suburban Dublin teens are lured into mystery in the mists of Ireland...
Uchenna O'Connor lives a life like that of any other Dublin schoolgirl... until the horses arrive.
The unexplained appearance of a little herd of "tinker ponies" that no one will claim causes no particular stir among adults in the purpose-built suburb of Adamstown... but there are others who notice. Uchenna starts feeling responsible for the ponies that have suddenly turned up on just the other side of the wall separating her suburban home from the fields around Adamstown.
Her growing concern for the hungry and seemingly abandoned horses leads Uchenna into hatching a benevolent plot to secretly take care of them, while she tries to discover who's brought them to her doorstep and why. But Uchenna little realizes the complications that will ensue when she draws two others into her plans: her best friend Emer -- an American transplant with a taste for rocking the boat -- and young Jimmy Garrity, a Traveler boy with a yen for higher math and a stubborn streak that drives him to try to beat the odds against his acceptance by "settled" people.
Together the three of them find themselves enmeshed in trouble in the neighborhood, at school, and even with the police, before the strange unseasonable autumn mist lifts enough for them to have a chance of discovering the truth behind the puzzle. But will the fragile new friendship that's growing in the mist survive the pressures and demands of the adults trying to pull them apart?...
Uchenna O'Connor lives a life like that of any other Dublin schoolgirl... until the horses arrive.
The unexplained appearance of a little herd of "tinker ponies" that no one will claim causes no particular stir among adults in the purpose-built suburb of Adamstown... but there are others who notice. Uchenna starts feeling responsible for the ponies that have suddenly turned up on just the other side of the wall separating her suburban home from the fields around Adamstown.
Her growing concern for the hungry and seemingly abandoned horses leads Uchenna into hatching a benevolent plot to secretly take care of them, while she tries to discover who's brought them to her doorstep and why. But Uchenna little realizes the complications that will ensue when she draws two others into her plans: her best friend Emer -- an American transplant with a taste for rocking the boat -- and young Jimmy Garrity, a Traveler boy with a yen for higher math and a stubborn streak that drives him to try to beat the odds against his acceptance by "settled" people.
Together the three of them find themselves enmeshed in trouble in the neighborhood, at school, and even with the police, before the strange unseasonable autumn mist lifts enough for them to have a chance of discovering the truth behind the puzzle. But will the fragile new friendship that's growing in the mist survive the pressures and demands of the adults trying to pull them apart?...
- GenresEbooks
ebook
First published February 3, 2013
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63 people want to read
About the author
Diane Duane
167 books2,412 followersDiane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years.
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 22, 2023
Uchenna's Apples is a modern-day story with the vibe of a fable. It's a story of children dealing with the big emotions that most grown-ups assume they're not thinking about yet, a tale of the difficulties that acts of kindness face in a world that runs on bigotry, an illustration of how important it is for minorities to stand together against injustice of all kinds (and of how often we instead choose to throw each other under the bus).
It's also about some kids who find some neglected horses and decide to feed them in secret. I smiled, shrugged, rolled my eyes, and overall had a good time.
It's also about some kids who find some neglected horses and decide to feed them in secret. I smiled, shrugged, rolled my eyes, and overall had a good time.
December 29, 2021
Enjoyed this very much!
March 30, 2013
It's a novel horse story, but it almost seems like it's more a story about life in Ireland for this particular group of teens, framed by this particular event, rather than focusing on the horses.
January 10, 2014
A bit scrambled, but also just really nice - addresses racism and classism in modern Ireland, among schoolkids, without preaching and with a bit of a ghost story element. I enjoyed it a lot.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews