The Apple Indians

By Doug McGuinn

Hershell Frogg has returned to Arrowhead Springs, North Carolina, after he gets the word that that his father, Buddy Ray, the former mayor of the town, had died. Hershell inherits the top of a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1887905464
• ISBN13: 9781887905466
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Parkway Pub
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A Novel for the Working Man

The Apple Indians is the story of an unlikely hero, Hershell Frogg, who returns to his tourist-trap hometown to settle family affairs upon the death of his father, the former mayor. Hershell discovers that the town has become the cash cow of corrupt local politicians, businessmen, and developers who want to turn a sacred Native-American mountain into a commercial venture. The problem is, the mountain belongs to Hershell, and he must figure out how to raise money to pay taxes on the land. The politicians and businessmen want Hershell to sell the land to them, and thus condemn a sacred place to sacrilege. Local Native Americans and well-meaning Anglos want the land returned to its religious importance. McGuinn's prose covers the spectrum of story-telling technique: slang dialogue, Native American poetic narration, Faulkneresque stream-of-conciousness, O'Connor-like grotesquery, and straight-up just-the-facts third person journalism. All of these techniques are necessary to tell a story that explores the interactions between several cultures, and McGuinn handles them with deft. The story's characters are well-defined and memorable (with names like Cyndee Peach ". . .in all her lusty glory. . ."), the conflicts are clear-cut, and the story develops tension with a believability that makes me think that it actually happened. I occasionally found some aspects of the story reminding me of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The Apple Indians is a simple "good-guys vs. bad guys" story that expertly disguises its own complexity. Skillful readers will appreciate McGuinn's technical mastery in successfully juggling several literary techniques, and less serious readers who want just a good butt-kickin' story will not be disappointed. Filled with good-ol' boy grit, sleazy thug politics, and under-dog heroism, The Apple Indians is a novel for both the working man and the serious reader. Highly recommended.

highly recommended

If you are of native American heritage, an old hippie, a NASCAR fan, or a TV repairman, this is a must-read book. It's funny, sometimes sleazy, and could have happened.