by John Gardner
First published 1984
James Page locks his sister Sally in her room after she shoots his television during a heated argument about politics and family values. The elderly Vermont farmer refuses to let her out until she apologizes, while Sally defiantly barricades herself inside, surviving on apples she throws at the window. Their standoff stretches across October days as both siblings dig deeper into their positions. James tends his farm and broods over changing times, while Sally reads a trashy novel she finds in her room. Neighbors and family members try to intervene, but the Pages remain locked in their battle of wills. The conflict forces both characters to confront their shared past, their fears about growing old, and the values that have shaped their lives in rural New England. What begins as a simple family quarrel becomes a deeper examination of how people cling to their beliefs when the world shifts around them.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-conflict
Setting: Vermont
Period: October
486 pages · Paperback · Arena Books/Arrow