Author(s): Narine Abgaryan

Novel | Translated fiction | Eastern Europe | Fiction Reductions

An multi award-winning story of friendship and feuds in a remote Armenian mountain village

A poignant, uplifting tale of love, friendship and second chances

High in the Armenian mountains, villagers in the close-knit community of Maran bicker, gossip and laugh. Their only connection to the outside world is an ancient telegraph wire and a perilous mountain road that even goats struggle to navigate.

As they go about their daily lives - harvesting crops, making baklava, tidying houses - the villagers sustain one another through good times and bad. But sometimes a spark of romance is enough to turn life on its head, and a plot to bring two of Maran's most stubbornly single residents together soon gives the village something new to gossip about...

Three Apples Fell from the Sky is an enchanting fable sparkling with sumptuous imagery, warm humour and the irresistible joy of everyday friendship.

Review:

'I loved this! A tender and quirky tale of stoicism, resilience and love... The ultimate feel-good story of an unlikely romance and the warmth of a community, drawn with humour, empathy and an earthy, magical charm.' * Mary Chamberlain, author of The Hidden *

'At the charming heart of Three Apples Fell from the Sky, pulses the certain knowledge that 'it takes a village' - a village to bleed, to weep, and, finally, to laugh and celebrate as one.' * Faith Sullivan, author of The Cape Ann and Goodnight, Mr. Wodehouse *

'A charming novel... [It] teems with minor characters whose quirks are at times amusing and at times heartbreaking... A warm-hearted story about family, friendship, and community.' * Foreword Reviews *

'Abgaryan's folktale [is] so improbably of the moment... [her] leisurely, painstaking prose - in Hayden's lyrical translation - is an added gift for readers at the moment, because it prompts us to adjust to the 'measured pace of existence' that is now also our own.' * Asymptote Journal *

'A poignant, bittersweet, fable-like story... The strongest message that shines through this finely translated novel is that resignation need not lead to cynicism.' * Asian Review of Books *

'With finely phrased descriptions of daily activities and homes with 'chimneys that clung to the hem of the sky,' and indelible details of complex, humble characters, this magical tale transcends familiar mystical tropes with its fresh reimagining of Armenian folklore.' * Publishers Weekly *

Author Biography: Narine Abgaryan is a Russian writer of Armenian origin. Already renowned as a children's author and blogger in Russia, she is now a prize-winning novelist. First published in 2015, Three Apples Fell from the Sky has now sold 160,000 copies and was awarded the Yasnaya Polyana award. Abgaryan lives in Moscow with her family. Lisa C. Hayden's translations from the Russian include Eugene Vodolazkin's Laurus, which won a Read Russia Award in 2016. Laurus and Lisa's translation of Vadim Levental's Masha Regina were both shortlisted for the Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize. She lives in Maine, USA.