Gansworth allows readers a look beneath his mask in this powerful memoir in verse, revealing a vivid account of his life growing up as an enrolled Onondaga tribal member on the Tuscarora Nation, where even on the reservation he was an outsider. It’s a white man’s world, as his mother liked to say, and in the aftermath of trauma, including being only two generations removed from the horrors of the residential boarding schools his grandparents were forced to attend, Gansworth lyrically describes how it feels and what it takes to navigate the rough waters of belonging and identity while grappling with the impacts of stereotypes, racism, poverty, cultural decimation and assimilation. Told against a backdrop of pop culture, including the comics, television, and music of his childhood, the title “Apple” refers to both the Beatles and the slur in Native American communities for someone who is, “red on the outside, white on the inside.” How much of his culture is he allowed to keep and how much must he give away, in order to find his own way? Each line that Gansworth writes is a testament to the strength of not only himself but of an entire community. The different styles of his verse are convincing, sophisticated, and rooted in where he grew up, on “Dog Street.” This is an important and unforgettable coming of age story that serves as proof of the author’s success and tenacity to forge his own path and claim his identity and place.​ 

Ages 12-18

Review by Sarah French