12 h 11 minAudiobook5 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In a city of sudden fortunes, an old grudge can put far more than money at risk.
The Apple of Discord by Earle Ashley Walcott takes you into Gilded Age San Francisco, a city of new wealth, old feuds and hidden plans. Gold, silver, railways and shipping form the backdrop to an adventure where people struggle to keep their footing amid rivalry and intrigue.
The title recalls the Greek myth of a golden apple that starts a quarrel and leads to war. That image sets the mood for a tale of grudges, conspiracy and survival. At its heart is the pressure of bitter conflict, where safety, reputation and loved ones can all be at stake.
What you’ll discover
- A city of fortunes Enter a San Francisco where sudden wealth sits alongside old grudges and hidden plans.
- Trouble that takes root Explore the uneasy idea that a small dispute can grow into a lasting feud.
- Plans beneath the surface Follow the pull of conspiracy in a world where trust is thin and alliances matter.
- More than luck Consider what survival demands when a quarrel threatens safety, reputation and those held dear.
- An older adventure tradition Settle into Walcott’s period storytelling, with its mix of city intrigue, rivalry and danger.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy historical adventure, witty narration and city intrigue will love this book, as will anyone curious about Gilded Age San Francisco, Chinatown, stock panics and a young man's courtship.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A feud and a secret errand
- The House of Blazes and its dreamers
- Big Sam and the rescued girl
- Bolton's bribes and the market raid
- Chinatown, a sliding wall and a firm refusal
- Riot night on Van Ness Avenue
- Power of attorney and a runaway business
- What the story is about and how it is told
Who’s who
- Arthur HampdenA young, witty San Francisco lawyer who tells the story and is hired to spy on Peter Bolton.
- Wharton KendrickA hearty, red-whiskered millionaire who has fought Peter Bolton for forty years and wants to keep his fortune and his city safe.
- Peter BoltonA gaunt, sour, sarcastic financier who uses money and hired mobs to destroy Kendrick.
- Laura KendrickKendrick's brave, teasing niece, home from school in the East, who takes in a wounded Chinese girl and faces down a mob.
- Big SamThe polished, secretive King of Chinatown, who plays all sides to protect his people and pursue a grand dream.
- ParksAn educated, fiery agitator who dreams of a revolution of the people and loves Mercy Fillmore in secret.
- Mercy FillmoreA gentle charity worker who nurses the wounded and worries about Parks's reckless ideas.
- William T. ColemanA calm merchant and former vigilante leader who organizes the Committee of Safety to defend the city.
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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La Pomme de discorde in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
La Pomme de discorde
A young lawyer spies for one millionaire on another and lands in the middle of a riot-torn San Francisco.
Medium level10–20 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The Apple of Discord, a historical adventure novel by Earle Ashley Walcott, is set in San Francisco in the summer of 1877. Arthur Hampden, young and struggling, is hired by Colonel Wharton Kendrick to spy on his old enemy Peter Bolton.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A feud and a secret errand
The story opens at lunch. Colonel Kendrick asks young Hampden to watch his old enemy Peter Bolton. Kendrick has had a warning that Bolton plans a surprise. Once before, Bolton took a land company from him.
Kendrick trusts Hampden because he was a close friend of Hampden's late father. He hands over a roll of bills and wants no private detective. Hampden's first report is odd. Bolton has turned reformer and gives money to a group called the Council of Nine.
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What is The Apple of Discord about?
It follows young lawyer Arthur Hampden in 1877 San Francisco. He is hired to watch the rich enemy of his client, and he is drawn into riots, stock panics, Chinatown intrigue and a rescue that changes his life.
Is The Apple of Discord a true story?
It is fiction, but it is set during the real anti-Chinese riots and Committee of Safety of 1877, and real figures such as Denis Kearney and William T. Coleman appear. The author shifted a few dates to suit the story.
Who is Big Sam in the book?
Big Sam, also called Kwan Sam Suey, is the wealthy, powerful leader of Chinatown. He speaks perfect English, works through indirect schemes and hopes to secure a future for his people in America.
The author
Earle Ashley Walcott
1859–1931 · American journalist and novelist
Earle Ashley Walcott was an American writer who lived from 1859 to 1931. He worked as a journalist in San Francisco, California, and wrote novels. His books include The Apple of Discord and Blindfolded. Blindfolded was published in 1906. His writing career extended into the early twentieth century.
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