The title 'French Braid' is a metaphor for familial relationships: "You think you're free of them but you're never really free; the ripples are crimped in forever." This is the multi-generational story of a Baltimore family, Robin and Mercy Garrett and their unalike children Alice, Lily and David. Spanning six decades, Tyler examines seemingly insignificant moments that echo through the years. It begins with a family vacation at the beach in 1959 and ends with several of the Garretts hunkering down together during Covid. Tyler fans will recognize and respond to her trademark subtle, insightful approach to telling the ordinary stories of ordinary people in a way that makes them seem rather extraordinary. When I feel dazed and confused by what is happening in the world around me a new Anne Tyler novel is a safe, cozy place for me to park myself for a bit. This one came at just the right moment.
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