Unlike in “ Redhead by the Side of the Road“, we don’t have authorial side-comments coming in about the characters it’s a much more traditional Anne Tyler book in that respect, among others. What will follow into the grandchildren – what tropes and looks, and how will they be woven together – or will they be? We watch sibling rivalries overtake the two sisters and the nature of the men they marry, all the while as their mother makes her own plans to have a second life after her one as a mother and wife. We follow the family, two sisters and a much younger brother, as they navigate childhood and young adulthood and consider why they make the choices they make. It’s quite a common Tyler trope, at least in the later books, to start modern then step back in time to fill in the details, although here we then go past 2010 to come right up to date into pandemic times in the latter part of the book. That was in 2010, and somewhat oddly, we don’t meet Serena again apart from off-stage, being discussed by her mother, one of the three siblings this book is actually about. There’s then some almost-snideness about people who have let their families get away from them, people from fractured families, for Serena is in that position. Here we meet Serena and James, off home after visiting his parents for the first time, with mentions of James’ large (well, not by AT standards but substantial) family meeting her next time in her memory as she thinks she sees one of her cousins, but isn’t sure.
How many Anne Tyler novels open in a railway station? Quite a few of them, and stations are featured in more.
They looked so scattered, and so lonesome.” A passerby would never guess the Garretts even knew each other. “Even her father, a few yards away from her, was swimming now toward shore. I’m adding links to these reviews plus all the reviews I am alerted to to the project page, so do pop there to see what other people have thought, too. If you’re reading along with the project or just this one or whatever, please do share your thoughts in the comments at the bottom or add a link to your review on your blog or Goodreads, etc. I’m mainly glad I’ve finally read it – and it was a good one, although curiously, I found myself in floods of tears at the end, even though the ending isn’t violently sad! I’ve not seen any other reviews of it yet apart from the ones on NetGalley, so I’m looking forward to finding out what other bloggers I follow think of it. I think I still have a paper copy coming but I managed to nab an e-book from NetGalley and plunged into it as my first March read. While I was doing my Anne Tyler 2021 project, I heard the news that she was about to publish another novel, “French Braid”.
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