Synopsis from Amazon:

In 1967 the Bedlow family lives quietly in Baltimore - an ideal, apple-pie household. The youngest, 17-year-old Ian, seems just an ordinary boy - until suddenly he feels compelled to tell his older brother that his wife's been unfaithful. The author won the Pulitzer Prize for "Breathing Lessons".

Placed in dodau's "The one you really want" Book Box ~ Enjoy!

This book visited me with dodau's bookbox. I am returning it to the box to continue its journey.

Ann Tyler
Chosen from dodau's "The one you really want" Book Box. I read this as a library copy some time ago and thought this would be a good opportunity to re-read an Ann Tyler novel.

Enjoyed reading this again. The book is certainly 100% better than the film which I happened to find and watch whilst channel hopping one evening.

RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at the Sheffield BXers meet.

Picked up at the Sheffield Meet

RELEASE NOTES:

I really enjoyed this book - it's a gentle story of love, loss, transgression and redemption. The characters have believable, messy lives, and how they deal with them is depicted in a realistic and very human manner. Ian's journey from naive and selfish teenager to wise and accepting adult was very real.

Picked up from the meet-up today. Look forward to starting on it.

I'd forgotten how good a novelist Anne Tyler is until I read this book. It was beautifully written and the quote on the front cover "compulsively readable, realistic, funny, touching" (from The Times)reflected my views to a tee for once.

I really admired Ian for taking on his brother's three children (two stepchildren and one of his own) even if it was out of a strong sense of guilt for having felt responsible for his brother's death and a little later the death of his wife.

The story spans 23 years and although heart tugging on occasion is not in the least mawkish.

I really must read my other six Anne Tyler TBRs sooner rather than later!

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Placed in a little slot in the outer wall of the Dovecote. The book fitted in there perfectly, but will it be found?