French Braid
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Book Overview
From the beloved best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author--a funny, joyful, brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one Baltimore family's foibles, from a boyfriend with a red Chevy in the 1950s up to a longed-for reunion with a grandchild in our pandemic present.
The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever leave home, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their teenage daughters, steady Alice and boy-crazy Lily, could not have less in common. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping his family's orbit, for reasons none of them understand. Yet, as these lives advance across decades, the Garretts' influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation.
Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel of tremendous warmth and humor that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how close--yet how unknowable--every family is to itself.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:059332109X
ISBN13:9780593321096
Release Date:March 2022
Publisher:Knopf Publishing Group
Length:256 Pages
Weight:1.29 lbs.
Dimensions:1.3" x 6.6" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Another Good, Quirky Anne Tyler Novel!
Published by Laura Lewis , 1 year ago
Anne Tyler's writing is so subtle and engaging in all her books - French Braid is no exception! The main character, Mercy, is so relatable in her quest to have something that's her own, and still stay true to her marriage and family. The family evolves in ways not unlike many other families, each finding their own way, while staying connected to each other. Anne Tyler's voice is unlike no one else; I can never resist her latest addition! Her later novels are "quieter" reads, but still retain her signature quirky voice. New readers coming to her novels might fare better with reading Accidental Tourist or Breathing Lessons first, to fully appreciate her uniqueness.
Anne Tyler never fails to please
Published by gwalkerosser , 1 year ago
I absolutely love Anne Tyler novels! Ive read them all and reread the earlier ones. Im a grandma now and have an even greater appreciation for French Braid. What it meant to me personally was the family dynamic. I have 3 Adult children and am amazed how different and sometimes unrecognizable they’ve become. But the love is still there. That’s what true love is. Unconditional.
2.5 stars
Published by Charlotte Lynn , 2 years ago
I really wanted to like or even love this book. I had heard so many great things about Anne Tyler and was so excited when I started reading French Braid. I did not love this book. I enjoyed the family dynamic, but I felt it was slow and there was not much going on. The family grew apart, yet they seemed to pretend to be okay. They downplayed so much about their family, things that should have been a bigger deal. They were worried about appearances way too much for my liking. They wanted to be a perfect family and put on that appearance for those around them and for each other.
I am wanting to give Anne Tyler another chance and am excited to find another of her books to read and hopefully enjoy.
**Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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