Apple Skin to the Core

Apple Skin to the Core is a memoir in verse by Eric Gansworth, a Native American writer and artist from the Onondaga Nation. Through poetry, prose, and visual art, Gansworth documents his experiences growing up on the Tuscarora Indian Nation reservation in upstate New York. The narrative spans multiple generations of Gansworth's family, beginning with his grandparents' forced attendance at Indian boarding schools in the early 1900s. The book incorporates elements of pop culture, particularly the music of The Beatles, as touchstones to explore identity, assimilation, and cultural preservation. Gansworth examines his own path as a Native youth navigating both reservation life and the outside world, including his time in public school and his development as an artist. His account includes family stories, personal memories, and historical events that shaped both his community and his understanding of himself. This memoir presents an intimate view of contemporary Native American life while addressing broader themes of cultural identity, intergenerational trauma, and resilience. The intersection of personal history with communal experience creates a layered exploration of what it means to exist between worlds.

Readers value this memoir's raw honesty about growing up Onondaga among generations impacted by Indian boarding schools. Many note how the Beatles music references and comic book elements help make heavy themes accessible. Readers appreciate: - Unique format mixing poetry, prose and art - Cultural insights without feeling didactic - Personal perspective on historical trauma - Strong sense of place and family dynamics Common criticisms: - Structure can feel fragmented and hard to follow - Beatles references occasionally feel forced - Some sections move slowly - Poetry portions challenging for some readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (100+ ratings) "The artwork and poetry work together to tell a story that prose alone couldn't capture," notes one Goodreads reviewer. Others mention the book fills gaps in Native American representation for young readers. Some reviewers struggled with pacing, with one noting "certain chapters meandered without moving the narrative forward."

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🍎 Author Eric Gansworth is an enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation who grew up in the Tuscarora Nation, experiences which deeply inform this memoir-in-verse. 📚 The book's title references The Beatles' song "Helter Skelter" while also alluding to the derogatory term "apple" used against Native Americans deemed "red on the outside, white on the inside." 🎨 Gansworth illustrated the book himself, incorporating his own artwork alongside family photos and cultural imagery to enhance the narrative. ✍️ The memoir explores four generations of family history, including the impact of Indian boarding schools and the complex dynamics of Native American identity in modern America. 🏆 "Apple Skin to the Core" was selected as a 2020 National Book Award Finalist in Young People's Literature and received the American Indian Youth Literature Award.