I had a hard time with this book. I wanted to like it but couldn’t relate to the characters. I grew up in MD and went to college in Towson, other than that, there was nothing.
I kept waiting for something to happen and it didn’t.
Thank you to the author and publisher for my advanced copy for my honest review.

The lives of a Baltimore family told through snapshots of their interactions. The first picture is of the only vacation they will ever take as a family. It says quite a bit that it's the only shared family event in their history and they spend it in singular pursuits. Each of them is uniquely reacting to the dysfunction of the parents while acknowledging the emotions that pull them together and push them apart. Anne Tyler moves each family member through the passages of time, giving us a birds' eye view of the small steps they take to remain a family while trying their best to be better.....siblings, spouses, parents and grandparents.

I don't usually read this genre of book, but it really beautifully captured the intricacies of family dynamics across generations. The author has such incredible attention to detail and a deep understanding of human nature, and that shines through in her vivid characterizations. It had kind of an episodic structure that allowed me to see the long-term impacts of seemingly small family events, very tapestryesque. While the narrative occasionally felt fragmented, the emotional resonance and insightful observations made it a really compelling read. I would definitely recommend it!

This is one of my favorite authors when it comes to family drama and character driven plots, however this was definitely not my favorite read of her's. The original family unit was what really drew me in, however as generations were added, it became somewhat confusing because there were just too many people to remember. I felt that this book went past it's natural end, although I did very much enjoy the pandemic time with David and his grandson. I liked how each generation picked small things to carry forward. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I usually love stories about families and the drama within, but this book just couldn't pull me in. I kept waiting for a climatic part to the story or to truly care about the characters, but this one fell flat for me. I loved the beginning when the family was at the lake, but after that, it didn't hold my attention much. It was a story of generations pulling apart at the seams, but I guess I just see this as everyday life at times.

There were many people that loved this book, so don't let it stop you, especially if you're a fan of Anne Tyler. However, this book earned three stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Vintage, and Anne Tyler for sharing this book. This review is based on my honest opinion.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. While I love a family-driven literary drama, this was paced slowly and was difficult to get sucked into.

Reliably detailed, Anne Tyler tells a family story spanning generations. The realism is there — it reads like a true family history, with the regular day-to-day being what impacts us.

This was my first Anne Tyler book but I bet it won’t be my last. . I like her narrative arcs, spanning multiple generations, and how she depicts their interactions. She has a great eye for detail and spot-on insights sShe infuses her stories with a lot of warm humor and gentle wit. I have added her earlier books on my wish list for my future reads.

French Braid by Anne Tyler was the first of Tyler's books that I have experienced. The story revolves around the Garrett family from the 1950's until the present day. And that is sadly it. I did enjoy reading about the day to day happenings but I was waiting for something big to happen. Nothing did. People were married, people had kids, kids went to school, mom found herself, kids went off to school, kids got married, grandkids were born....... It was all very mundane, normal happenings. I will say, Tyler has a way with words and makes the normal, mundane happenings interesting. She kept me interested and reading until the very end. If you are looking for twists and turns in a story, this isn't for you. I would recommend French Braid to others and would love to read other works by Anne Tyler. 3.5 stars for me.
#FrenchBraid #NetGalley

This is a novel about the Garrett family in the 1950's until the present. Mercy is an artist, married to Robin who lives for tools and projects. They have three children. Alice is the oldest and does a lot of the cooking and child care when Mercy is caught up in a project. Lily is the middle child, cute and always ready to meet another guy. David is the youngest by quite a bit.
When the children grow up and leave home, so does Mercy. She never comes out and tells Robin she is leaving but rents a garage apartment to use as a studio and starts sleeping there more and more. Alice has married a man as steady as she is. Lily had a quick first marriage and then met and married a man who the family likes. David doesn't marry for years and when he does it is to a woman a decade older than him with a child.

Anne Tyler is known for her writing about family relationships. Most of her books are centered around Baltimore where she also lives and this one is part of that tradition. The Garretts learn how to accept family members that are different than what they think is 'normal' and to support each other regardless of choices. Tyler's novels have won a Pulitzer Prize and been nominated multiple times for both the Booker and the Women's Prize for Fiction. She is a natural treasure and readers will enjoy her comforting books. This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.

This book is a powerful and moving family saga that addresses connections and relationships. I enjoyed it, but I don't know that it's a book that I'd rush to recommend to others as a must-read. I enjoy Anne Tyler as an author, but her books are calm and evenly paced, with more gentle twists and turns. Readers who are looking for shocking twists or fast-paced actions should look elsewhere.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I don’t even know how to express why, I just did. I think the characters all seemed very real and genuine. I liked the family history and how it lead to the current family structure.

My first Anne Tyler book. A winner. I love the characters. The story is a family saga of unexpected turns in their lives. Most outstanding.

I love a good family saga. Coming in at a relatively short 8 chapters, this story of the Garrett family covers three generations of Baltimoreans from 1940 through 2020. There is a constant undercurrent of misunderstanding and bafflement from one family member to the other. They love one another but don’t much like one another. This story explores typical Anne Tyler themes like the late-in-life search for one’s independence, family loyalty, and the connections - or braids - that tie families together whether they’re aware of it or not. I think this is my favorite Anne Tyler book so far. This is not a heavily plotted book, but Tyler’s sympathetic and insightful prose creates a satisfying resolution. ARC from NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday.

I love Anne Tyler's storytelling so I knew I had to read this book. I was not proven wrong! It was great. This was such an extravagant story told in not so many pages. It was amazing all the way through.

I had a hard time keeping focus with this book. There were so many characters and at times I couldn't connect how people were related to each other. I didn't like the different perspectives and not knowing who the narrator was until we got into it. And I didn't really feel any connection with any of the characters.

What a spectacular book! Every time I pick up an Anne Tyler book I wonder if she'll be able to wrap me up in her spell yet again. Why am I somewhat skeptical? I don't know. Her voice is so captivating and makes me feel secure from the first page. Is it that I look back and wonder if her books were sentimental in retrospect? This might be it, and it's a shame because I find her stories so heartfelt and emotional. I never, while reading them, feel like I'm being manipulated.

What Anne Tyler always delivers is characters that feel incredibly real and a book full of keen observations of human nature. French Braid is no exception. I was impressed with how many characters and how much time she was able to pack into a short book. I enjoy character based novels but there wasn't much plot here for me to attach to, so it took longer to get through than I originally anticipated. It's gorgeously written and I think captures the intricacy and intimacy of family very well, but it wasn't one I felt compelled to keep reading or constantly pick up. For me as a reader, I need more plot.

An engrossing story that follows one family from 1959 through present-day pandemic life. Tyler's observations on her characters and they way they interact with each other/the world around them feel so authentic.

I did not get to this book and as a result am removing from my list. I ended up selecting other books to read instead. This review is not a reflection of the story, but rather shows that this was not high on my TBR list, which is a factor in itself.