Publishers Weekly
10/25/2021
This gem of a novella from Valente (The Past Is Red) packs a lot of intrigue into a brief page count. Sophia lives in the upscale gated community of Arcadia Gardens, a supposed utopian oasis under the management of the Arcadia Gardens Homeowners Association. The rules in Arcadia are strange and specific, forbidding, among other things, dancing and the building of structures for beekeeping, but all are said to be in favor of purity and harmony. Sophia’s life is basically a fairy tale, complete with a beloved husband at her side. But even as the reader takes in the frothy, enchanted atmosphere, there are hints that Sophia is teetering in an illusion that will soon launch her into darkness. This turns out to be the case when Sophia discovers a mysterious silver hairbrush and a dark tangle of hair in a locked drawer of their home and her fairy tale perception begins to dissolve. A masterful late reveal proves this to be a clever reworking of a famous story, reframing all that came before. Though there are some moments of excessive exposition, Valente packs in enough charm, curiosity, and foreboding to make this worthwhile. Fans will be delighted. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
A Shirley Jackson Award finalist!
A Locus Award finalist!
Praise for Comfort Me With Apples:
“Valente modernizes the old-fashioned “what’s up with my husband” question that many heroines in dusty castles pondered [and] brings to mind Ira Levin’s classic The Stepford Wives” —The Washington Post, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
“No one can move from sweet whimsy to bone-deep dread with the deftness of Catherynne M. Valente. Comfort Me With Apples is a darkly elegant fairytale-horror story that will haunt you in the best ways. Move it to the top of your TBR.” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author
“A lush and furious fairytale. Valente always delivers.” —Laurie Penny, screenwriter for The Haunting of Bly Manor and author of Everything Belongs to the Future
“I just about melted into the story, and someone will have to comb through Valente's exquisite prose to fish out my skeleton because I was wholly lost in the tale. It was so clever, so nefarious, so, well, Valente. To me, she's Angela Carter with knives for teeth.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author
“Comfort Me With Apples is a furious and tantalizingly crooked domestic mystery, as slim and sharp as a needle.” —Melissa Albert, bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
“Valente's prose is crystalline as always: airy, beautiful, perfect as Sophia herself. But under all that beauty, there is an open wound bleeding so much rage. Comfort Me With Apples is the first book in a long time that has managed to surprise me: an experience both cathartic and unforgettable.” —Cassandra Khaw, award-winning author
NOVEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
Karis Campbell narrates a chillingly familiar story, which takes place in an unexpected setting. Sophia and her husband are perfect for each other, and their life together is perfect. Just perfect. Everything is perfect. Or is it . . . ? As the story unfolds, Campbell subtly shifts her narration from crisp and poised to unsettled and then frantic, reflecting Sophia’s mental unraveling as she learns the awful truth about herself and her husband. Campbell also gives clues to the true nature of Sophia’s neighbors and acquaintances, allowing astute listeners to piece together the mystery of Arcadia Gardens along with Sophia. K.M.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
