Summary
Summary of The Apple of Discord
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A secret errand opens old wounds
Colonel Kendrick hires young Hampden to watch Peter Bolton, an enemy who once took a land company from him. Kendrick trusts Hampden because of his friendship with Hampden’s late father, but the errand quickly becomes more dangerous than quiet observation. Bolton is funding a reform group called the Council of Nine. Then a stranger hiding in Kendrick’s garden stabs Hampden and escapes. A notebook saves Hampden’s life, while a slip covered in Chinese characters offers a new lead.
Key idea 2
Angry men find a public voice
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Key idea 3
A rescue brings danger home
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Key idea 4
Private revenge reaches the stock market
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Key idea 5
Laura refuses to surrender Moon Ying
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Key idea 6
The riot reaches Kendrick’s door
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Key idea 7
A boyhood grudge threatens a city
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Key idea 8
The city must answer disorder
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About 7 h to read.Who it’s for
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 this book is
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. Their quarrel began in an Ohio village, and its cause is hidden at first. Soon Hampden is among agitators, Chinatown tongs, market raiders and rioters, with a rescued girl in his care. Real figures such as Denis Kearney and William T. Coleman walk through the tale. First, the feud and the odd job that starts it all.
In this summary
- 1A feud and a secret errandFree
- 2The House of Blazes and its dreamers
- 3Big Sam and the rescued girl
- 4Bolton's bribes and the market raid
- 5Chinatown, a sliding wall and a firm refusal
- 6Riot night on Van Ness Avenue
- 7Power of attorney and a runaway business
- 8What the story is about and how it is told
Key point 1 of 8
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.
That night a stranger hides in Kendrick's garden. Hampden chases him and is stabbed, but a notebook in his pocket saves him. The man escapes and leaves his overcoat behind. In its pocket is a slip covered in Chinese characters.
That’s 1 of 8 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Bolton want a stock market panic?
Right. “Bolton wants a panic so Kendrick will be ruined.”Not quite. “Bolton wants a panic so Kendrick will be ruined.”
Why does Big Sam ask for Moon Ying back?
Right. “He fears her death under a white doctor will set the tongs against each other.”Not quite. “He fears her death under a white doctor will set the tongs against each other.”
What does the title's apple of discord represent?
Right. “The title's apple of discord is a grudge begun in boyhood that grows until it threatens a whole city.”Not quite. “The title's apple of discord is a grudge begun in boyhood that grows until it threatens a whole city.”
Go deeper: the whole of The Apple of Discord
About 7 h to read.Questions about The Apple of Discord
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.
What does the title The Apple of Discord mean?
The phrase refers to a small cause of a great quarrel, like the golden apple in Greek myth. In the book, it hints at the hidden cause of the long feud between Kendrick and Bolton.
Is The Apple of Discord easy to read?
Yes, in the sense that it is lively and approachable. Short chapters, brisk action, plenty of dialogue and a witty narrator make it simple to follow from one scene to the next.
