Three Apples Fell from the Sky is a story based in a rural, mountainous Armenian village where a tiny community of elderly residents support one another and keep traditions alive. This novel reads like a soft, wholesome fable with sprinkled in bits of magical realism. The community of Maran has experienced remarkable pain and loss, from famines to earthquakes to war, but they continue to bolster one another and bicker like family. 

The book is structured in three parts based on an old Armenian saying: “And three apples fell from heaven: one for the storyteller, one for the listener, and one for the eavesdropper.” There is only a loose driving plot; for the most part, you get to hear backstories of the charming, resilient residents and then peek in on their lives as they go on being the eccentric, superstitious, caring little village on the mountain. I had a particular soft spot for Nastasya, the wife of a village descendant, who arrives with an open-heart and willingness to be shaped by Maran. 

The writing — translated from the original Russian — is melodic and atmospheric. One of my favorite lines was: “That’s probably how things are supposed to be because that’s just the way it is.” It’s certainly a slow-moving book, but the town is so bucolic and its residents are so endearing, I just want to sit in the town square and continue to be a part of their little world.