Publishers Weekly
★ 07/22/2019
The old adage, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” encouraged Funderburg, a University of Pennsylvania lecturer, to explore its truth in this sparkling anthology of essays on the contributors’ parents. Its selections all echo John Freeman’s declaration, “Love is in clarity, not sentiment.” Freeman, like Kyoko Mori and Avi Steinberg, find benefit in troublesome family legacies. Marc Mewshaw and Jane Hamilton look back on a parent’s writing career, and Bear Bergman credits his father’s knack for oral, rather than written, storytelling with shaping his own narrative abilities. Lauren Grodstein and Karen Grigsby Bates pay tribute to their mothers’ cooking, and Susan Ito and Dana Prescott do the same to the adventurous, extroverted lives of their fathers (both traveling salesmen.) Lolis Eric Elie reflects on the uncommon first name he shares with his father and son, and Ann Patchett muses on the close likeness she bears to her mother. These essays particularly excel with serving up memorable last lines, as in Patchett’s piece, in which the nurse overseeing her mother’s hospital care comments on how similar they look—“Like sisters?” Patchett asks, to which the nurse replies, “No, like the same person.” These essays, in addition to being resonant in their own right, will also move readers to recollect stories of their own parents. Agent: Geri Thoma, Writers House. (Sept.)
(Minneapolis) Star Tribune - Laurie Hertzel
"Undoubtedly, parents influence us more deeply and irrevocably than any other people in our lives. The apple, after all, doesn't fall very far from the tree. This topic is given its rich and thoughtful due in Apple, Tree: Writers on Their Parents, an engrossing anthology of 25 delightfully diverse personal essays."—Laurie Hertzel, (Minneapolis) Star Tribune
Pop Matters - Elisabeth Woronzoff
"Apple, Tree provides a thoughtful meditation on individuals' connections to heritage and legacy."—Elisabeth Woronzoff, Pop Matters
Washington Post - Bethanne Patrick
"Funderburg, who has explored her own parents and background in her memoir "Pig Candy," here gathers pieces from writers about a trait they've inherited from a mother or father. Ann Patchett, Daniel Mendelsohn and Laura van den Berg, among others, meditate on how attributes both physical and spiritual tie us to and distance us from our elders."—Bethanne Patrick, Washington Post
Hippocampus Magazine - Hannah Straton
"Lise Funderburg has collected diverse stories of parenthood and childhood, of love, loss, and remembrance. Apple, Tree is the perfect collection for anyone who has ever considered what legacies parents leave to their children."—Hannah Straton, Hippocampus Magazine
Andrea Barnet
“Apple, Tree is an unflinching exploration of the complicated geography of families. At once heartfelt and searching, these affecting stories remind us that parental likenesses once shunned can surprise, move, and reconnect us in unexpected ways.”—Andrea Barnet, author of Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Changed Our World
NPR - Lily Meyer
"Apple, Tree is a sweet, smart collection, and—it has to be said—a perfect gift for a parent you love."—Lily Meyer, NPR
DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
This is a listen for anyone who is curious about authors reminiscing about the impact their parent or parents had on their lives. These shortish works are all interesting and offer glimpses into the lives of authors known and not so well known. The narrators bring sympathetic, nuanced takes on the 25 writers who share their stories in this collection. Some of these stories are humorous, some sad, and all are touching in their own way. Audiobook fans most likely know the work of some of these performers. For those who don’t, this is a great introduction to their unique talents. An engaging listen with unique insights into the lives of writers. J.P.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
