Narine Abgaryan: Three Apples Fell from the Sky

Translated from the Russian by Lisa C. Hayden

In a picturesque Armenian mountain village where its people have been scarred by time, and happiness is few and far between, a woman prepares for her imminent death.

And yet, I was not prepared for how much joy this book ushered! Yes, joy!

Despite its bleak opening, Three Apples Fell from the Sky is an unexpected playful balance of friendship, conflict, small-town superstition and traditions, finding refuge in reading, love found in a couple’s twilight years, communal and personal griefs, and healing — which all transmutes into a heart-warming embrace in literary form.

Whenever Armenia is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the ethnic cleansing of Anatolia that resulted in the deaths of between 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians. While it is important to keep the genocide in memory, it is noteworthy how this book only hints at it along with its suffering under Soviet rule — as if to remind the world that there is more to Armenia than its pain.

If you need a literary hug (and a lovely way to begin Women in Translation Month), consider this book.

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Thank you, Anna, for recommending this gem!