3.5

A good old family story, Tyler style

Hm. This is one of those books where I drove myself nuts trying to decide how many stars to dole out. I enjoyed the read, and I think that Tyler is pretty amazing, but yet . . . I have a bunch of complaints. So 3.5 stars it is, rounded down.

The story is about a family in Baltimore in the 1950s—a couple and their three kids. The dad is boring; the mom wants to do her painting. The two daughters are polar opposites: one is blasé and suburban, the other one is a little wild. The brother is detached. The story does spend a little time in the present, which gives the story a (good) saga feel to it.

Joy Jar

-What a pro Tyler is! Before I even know it, I am swooped up into the story. I’m reading along, thinking “this isn’t bad” when suddenly I realize I really really care about the characters. Magic! The pull is subtle, somewhat similar to what happens in Strout’s books.

-Lots of nuances. Lots of unsaid stuff that goes POP and creates tension in its silence.

-And man, can Tyler describe family dynamics. There’s strain, sadness, jealousy, wounds, distance, and love. The interactions are all so real, it’s familiar in a good way. I loved that I got to peek into someone else’s family. Tyler has so much insight and she can do families like no other.

-The characters are each unique. Actually, they are ordinary people, but Tyler shows you their guts and makes them stand out.

-I looked forward to picking up the book. I liked hanging out with this family (even though I didn’t like the mom).

Complaint Board

-Wait. What happened to that young, interesting couple I met at the beginning of the book? You’ve made me curious, so why go back to the 1950s and talk about the girl’s grandmother and her family all the sudden? And stay there! Call me crazy, but when I meet people at the start of a book, and pay all this attention to them, I get invested and I expect that the book is going to be about them. Not so, here. We’re stuck with the grandparents. Oh, I got into that family pretty fast (see the Joy Jar), but I still was wondering what happened to those two cool people introduced at the beginning.

-BS meter alert! The family is on vacation and the 15-year-old girl meets a guy who is 21, and they hang out together—every day he picks her up in his car and whisks her off for hours, usually the whole day. The parents don’t blink an eye. What???? NO parents are going to let their young teenage daughter hang out with a 21-year-old guy. Period. End of story (unless they are neglectful or out of it, which they’re not). I can’t for the life of me figure out why Tyler made the guy 21. The girl could have been boy-crazy and wild with someone her own age and it would have gotten the point across.

-The main character, the mom named Mercy (of all things), doesn’t like cats and she does something nasty. Don’t worry, she doesn’t hurt the cat, but she’s not nice to it. Biting my tongue to avoid spoilers. As a cat lover, I found this especially awful.

-I didn’t like Mercy anyway, but the cat deal made me hate her. It’s a drag not to care for a character that’s front and center.

-The book got a little sentimental at the end, with a little boy running around at his grandparents’ house and other wholesome, heartwarming things happening. I heard Hallmark being whispered into my ear.

-My only complaint about Tyler in the past was that her male characters are too passive. Here, same deal. I read that Tyler denies this allegation, LOL.

-Now this really is just me: Tyler’s brand of realism, like many others’, includes descriptions of clothes. Also kitchen and food descriptions. In the past few years, I’ve had more and more trouble stomaching stories where all the middle-ness of middle-class families is described in excruciating detail. It always makes me feel rebellious and lonely; I feel like a kid who is expected to conform but is bored by it all and wants to escape. I guess I just want descriptions of what’s going on inside the heads, not outside the heads. People will argue that describing outfits gives us a full picture of the character. This is true; people’s clothes could tell us something about their heads—but this doesn’t stop me from being bored by outfits and meal prep and tedious family traditions.

-Also, just me: The style is too quiet. I like more drama. I didn’t mind that not much happened; it’s just that the tone was hushed.

In the old days, I read several books by Tyler and absolutely loved them. Maybe this book just isn’t as good as some of her others, or maybe my tastes have changed. It was better than an okay read—as I said earlier, Tyler magically reeled me in and suddenly I gave a damn about the characters. But the book did make me pull out my Complaint Board—I had a lot of whines.

I think since the book does so skillfully pull you into the lives of complex, interesting characters, though, it will be a hit with most people. And although I gave the book only 3 stars, I already found myself already recommending it to a friend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

A quiet family story that takes the reader back to a young family in the 1950s and forward through 3 generations to the present day. I found the first chapter a bit distracting, it did serve as an introduction to some of the family, but it didn’t pique my interest. The story really begins in the 2nd chapter. There are no major plot points, “big things” don’t happen. Just life, and isn’t that a big enough thing? We meet many family members, learn a bit of their story, often left wanting more. A lovely portrait of a family as they navigate their lives, connect, disconnect and reconnect.

The Garretts' only family vacation in the summer of 1959 showed the cracks that led to the three siblings going their separate ways. The family dynamic was interrupted, as the members often did not understand each other in their endeavors. As the Garretts move off into their lives, will the future help to heal their issues or cement them further?

Anne Tyler often meanders through the lives of her characters, which did not work well in French Braid. As a multigenerational novel about a dysfunctional family, the pacing led the characters basically nowhere despite the years that the book spanned. It was hard to stay focused on the plot because the characters were not all that interesting. I never forged a connection with any of them, nor did I feel invested in knowing their outcomes. For the reasons listed above, I would not recommend French Braid to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

French Braid by Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler has been an author whose books I have enjoyed getting lost in, French Braid did not disappoint. French Braid winds through multi-generational patterns of untold secrets, longings and disconnections. Mercy’s chameleon traits at times were heartbreaking as she navigates what she thinks she should be and what she loses of herself. Mercy isn’t alone in pulling a slight of hand illusion to her life, David & Lily have also learned what cards to conceal. A wonderful story that left me pondering so many paths in her novel. Special thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Ann Tyler's thought provoking new book.

Anne Tyler once again explores the ways a family works and sometimes falls apart. Weaving together three generations of the Garrett family in this multi generational novel. The question is asked, “Why do some families stay together and some don’t”. This is a beautiful exploration of the things left unsaid & the miscommunication that happens within the family dynamic.

2.5 rounding up

Although this one wasn’t long, it took me 2 attempts to finish. My attention wandered frequently and if it weren’t an ARC I’m not sure I would have finished it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

French Braid is a sweet family novel following the Garretts - a family living in Baltimore. It touches on the simplicity and complexity that comes with families and life. The story spans decades, and while it was a little slow moving, it takes on family dynamics spectacularly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - French Braid is out now!

If you read one Anne Tyler novel, you'll want to read them all, for her voice is as distinct now as it was when her more well-known 1985 The Accidental Tourist was turned into a film in 1988. French Braid takes you on a journey with a family -- a common trope in Tyler's work -- and weaves each character's story into the family narrative, evoking each decade's spirit as the journey evolves.

The Garrett family decides to go on their only family vacation during summer 1959. There is the mostly unaware and deeply reserved father Robin, whose character remains through much of the novel almost unnavigable, an opacity that is both endearing and foil to his wife, Mercy, and their three children. Robin's wife Mercy, for me, reflected the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s housewife in a way that nearly moved me to tears for its reminder of women I knew as a child -- housewives whose entire existence occurred within the interiors of the home she would create for her family only to have them ignore it, or leave it. Mercy's one secret is that she longs to paint, and on the family vacation, she begins in earnest to become a working painter, and her story threads through the novel into her own strength as she builds a life for herself.

The Garrett children, especially daughters Alice and Lily, lead singular lives, and Lily certainly is the most well-drawn of these - she spends most of the family vacation with a boy she meets on the trip, and her story develops apace around a series of fascinating choices with men, yet like her mother, always the itch seems to appear, a yearning familiar in Tyler's characters in other novels, to her own independence. The youngest child David lives in a world of his own making, not willing to be influenced by the demand for conformity at any point. His family, mainly father Robin, spends most of the novel shaking his head in wonder at the strangeness of his own flesh and blood.

In the fashion of most of Tyler's work, the reader travels along a thread of perception and insights into the Garrett family - sometimes the threads try to pull apart, and at others, these threads and family ties seem unbreakable, unknowable, and in the end, part of what defines the human experience. As with much of Tyler's work, if you're a reader who wants the immersion into a world that reflects yet can escape your own, this is a good book for you.

I do love a good family saga that spans decades. It usually keeps me completely engaged and is so full of depth but this one didn't quite do it for me. Is it a saga? Not really. It is a story of an ordinary American family. Some are endearing while others are not and right when I was getting into a piece of their story the next chapter would jump dramatically. Sometimes so many years that people have died and grown up and it left me wondering what I missed in the middle. It was not a book I ever debated about not finishing. It was a quick read and it flowed enough to keep you wanting to read more. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

No one write family fiction like Anne Tyler. Her style remains unchanged after all these years... she expertly examines the intricacies of human relationships and visits all the hard places.

The story follows a young woman and her beau, beginning with a difficult discussion on the train - they are supposed to visit his family and stay the night. She's not comfortable with sharing a room with him in his parent's home and he can't understand her discomfort. As often happens in real life, too much is left unsaid between them and while we aren't sure how he feels; she can't wait to get home, away from the discomfort of the conversation.

The story jumps back in time to a long-past family vacation where parents attempted relaxation while children revel in freedom, learning life lessons the hard way.

I had a hard time getting into this book. The pacing was off for me. As soon as it started to move forward, I felt untethered to the story again.

This was a quiet, slow read that came 'round full circle in a totally satisfying manner. I loved it. The more I read of Anne Tyler, the more I want more! This had everything I want in a read - and family matters over many generations is the general theme and message here.

Family life is messy. It is hard (dare we say nasty? I do!) and even happy endings have their thorns. Still, without the thorns you don't get roses, and roses are the best part of the plant! In families, often the one that presents the biggest challenges brings through unexpected outcomes tremendous joy and gratification. In a family, one never knows what is going to show up next, but the one thing that is known is that link of family claim, some with and by dna, and some with and by choice.

The tale of the Garrett family is an every-which-way tale with family members you relate to, and some that are not very loveable, just like life. The reading road started slowly for me, but I was soon hooked, and so stayed on the road, passing through the very last gate. This I happily shut with a long backward gaze, filled with thoughts of my own tribe on our road, with the landmark gates that mark our lives. Having just finished, I do feel compelled to find a family member to wrap up in a big hug. They'll love that. . . .(we're not really a surprise-hug family, so this is said with rolling eyes). . . .

A Sincere Thanks to Anne Tyler, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #FrenchBraid #NetGalley

I mean really, who doesn't fall in love with Anne Tyler's amazing characters and distinctive literary voice. This book is so immersive and I wished I could follow this family forever.

How can anyone not like Anne Tyler's slice of life stories? This one did not disappoint and I cannot wait to share it with my readers!

I love Anne Tyler's families. The Garretts are no exception. From the outside they look pretty good, but inside they're either wildly eccentric or marginally dysfunctional. This story follows the Garretts through several generations (3) , and allows us to see how families grow, connect and disconnect over time and yet are all intertwined like the french braid of the title.. In many ways, Tyler's stories (like this one) seem to be about the everyday, humdrum lives of ordinary people and yet there is always some Gordian Knot in the family that needs untangling or, better yet, adjusting to. I suggest you dip your toes into the Garrett family story, you will enjoy it.

No one tells a story like Anne Tyler. This one is the story of the Garrett family. We meet them when the son, David, is seven years old. The book ends when David is a grandfather. Tyler captures family life so achingly accurate.

The usual quirky Baltimore characters live their lives but what does it all add up to? Low key slow plot family viginettes. For lovers of Anne Tyler.

Another wonderful novel by Anne Tyler, who is one of my favorite authors. The main characters weren’t especially likable, but the boom drew me in and I enjoyed it very much.

I am a HUGE Anne Tyler fan. I would even say I am her biggest fan, haha. She lives in Baltimore, and so do I. I loved French Braid. I didn't ever want to stop reading it. Anne Tyler is the best at writing a quiet story filled with so much substance. I understand why some people will not like this one, but Anne Tyler does a great job showing the changes that a family goes through over the years. Mercy was at times likable and at times insufferable and annoying. I recommend this to any Anne Tyler fan and fans reading family dynamics.

Way to go Anne Tyler! Wonderful intense family relationships! Great discussion can come from this book. Great book club read. Definitely recommended to all ages and groups! Thank you Net Galley for the ARC