Opening an Anne Tyler book means you are welcoming an old friend into your reading room. Tuck in with an afghan on your lap and a cup of something tasty within reach. You are going to meet a memorable family, journey with them through decades, and enjoy the ups and downs of reality. French Braid proved to be a delight and I hated to see it end.
From the 1950s to our present, follow the Garrett family in Baltimore. Mercy aspires to paint. Husband Robin doesn't want change. Daughters - Alice, always common sense, Lily, boy crazy and drifting. David, the youngest, just wants to escape. Book blurb - As these lives advance across decades, the Garretts' influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation.
p 232 "Oh, a French braid," Greta said. "Undone, hair would still be in ripples, little leftover squiggles, for hours and hours afterward."
"Well," David said, "that's how families work, too. You think you're free of them, but you're never really free; the ripples are crimped in forever."
And that's Anne Tyler's effortless writing and descriptions. She pulls you in and engages you. French Braid is solid writing, storytelling, and observations on life. Thanks, Anne Tyler.
Shout out to Becky Thorne - see, I did read this book from the library. Cheers!
Hi Joanne - it does sound an interesting read - family dynamics over time ... with the crimps of life - yes! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteYou can never go wrong with Anne Tyler. Smooth engaging writer
DeleteSounds delightful. Loved the metaphor of the crimps, so true!
ReplyDeleteYou would enjoy her writing. She uses words well
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