I love Anne Tyler's wry observations of human foibles, which are definitely on display in this novel, but honestly I kept waiting for something more to happen. If you love Anne Tyler, I'm sure you will appreciate this one, but if you're looking for a gripping read, I would look elsewhere.

* Thanks to Netgalley for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolutely gorgeous novel. I honestly became SO engrossed in this family and their stories. It really encapsulates the title: Families are braided and tied together just like a hairstyle. I thought this was very well-written and an enjoyable read. I highly recommend it!

I've enjoyed every Ann Tyler novel I've read and this one is no exception. It is an insightful exploration of family and the ways in which events can shape one's life. It tells the story of the Garrett family throughout the decades, from the 1950s to the present. Although the they have their own idiosyncrasies and quirks, they are also an ordinary family and one that begins to feel familiar. Thought-provoking and touching.

A beautiful and funny portrait of family. There are a lot of characters to keep track of (it follows a family over many generations) but it was still fun to get to know each of them. This was my first Anne Tyler book and I really enjoyed it! She captured the complexity of family so well. Looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

It was the story of a woman giving up her life until she raised her family and then begins her own life. It was sort of sad But beautifully written

The Garretts seldom leave the comfort of their home but, even though they're together constantly, the family of five isn't particularly close. Robin and Mercy decide that they should take their children, Alice, Lily, and David, on a family-bonding vacation, so, in the summer of 1959, the quintet embarks on their first (and last) family vacation. The Garretts spend a week at a nearby lake where they meant to spend time together but end up spending time in their own worlds. Set over the course of decades, French Braid tells each member of the Garrett family's stories. The matriarch, Mercy, cannot resist the call of being a professional painter and, as her kids grow older, she begins to gently separate herself from familial obligations and pursue her passion. Meanwhile, Robin struggles to connect with his kids, in particular David, and tries to hold on to his idea of what a family be. Alice, the oldest Garrett child, acts more like mother than a sister to her two siblings as she picks up Mercy's shortcomings. Lily, the middle child, is the furthest thing from Alice, so it's no surprise that, as she ages, she jumps from relationship to relationship in an attempt to find the meaning of life. Lastly, David is itching to get out of the house so when he does, he doesn't look back leaving each Garrett to wonder why. While the family leads five very separate lives, the influences of being a Garrett ripple ineffably through each generation.


The Garretts are American commonplace: you can see this family no matter where you are. In comparison with other contemporary family novels, French Braid is an incredibly quick read that takes readers through decades of stories without drowning in the details. I think the best part about this book is the way in which it made me think about family: What is the difference between liking someone and loving someone when it comes to family? However, the worst part about this book is the judgment I felt reading about the Garrett family; of course, I want to think that Mercy is selfish, I feel sympathy for Robin, and I wish David would put forth more effort, but those judgments come from a place of idealism when reading about family relations. Tyler's story challenged me to disconnect from preconceived notions of family and focus on the individual stories of Mercy, Robin, Alice, Lily, and David with their unique relationships to the family and one another. And, while it is a quick read, I didn't feel shortchanged. Overall, French Braid gave me the content I needed and left me feeling equally broken-hearted and fulfilled. I wouldn't say this book will make my 2022 Favorites, but it's one I won't forget about.


3.5/5


Thank you, Knopf Doubleday Publishing, for an advanced copy of French Braid in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read an Anne Tyler book in years and had forgotten how much I enjoy them. This is another quirky but believable family that this book follows for over fifty years through several generations. Most of the characters are loveable but Mercy upset me with the cat part of the story! How dare she?

French Braid, by Anne Tyler, is another example of an accomplished and renown author’s mastery of dialogue and character. Unfortunately, her characters lack understanding of themselves and each other. Although they change and, in some cases, mature, they seem perpetually out of sync with one another. I relished the dialogue between characters, and seeing the family develop through generations. Nonetheless, I found the lack of resolution sad. Perhaps, that is the point…some people don’t change, barriers are steadfast, and clarity elusive.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the opportunity to read this intriguing novel.

Few writers are more loved and respected than Anne Tyler. Her books are comforting and readable and it's obvious why she won the Pulitzer Prize.

Thanks to NetGalley & Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the digital advanced reader copy of French Braid. The following thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a good everyday family drama, but I never really connected to the characters in this book. There were a lot of characters as the family grew and it was hard for me to remember which kids belonged to which parent, so that didn’t help me feel invested in their stories. Maybe if the story was longer I would have had more time to get to know the characters. I did enjoy the writing. 2.5 stars rounded up.

If you enjoy Anne Tyler like I do then you will love this novel. This took me back to the feeling of A Spool of Blue Thread which I did not get from her last book Red Head By the Side of the Road. I still liked it but was glad it was not my first book by this author.
I felt like I knew this family and that I could see some of my family members in some of the characters. Especially the dad and the brother.
When I read Anne Tyler I feel like I am going home to Baltimore even though I have never been there. I hope she never stops writing.

Swirling Disorder into Sweet Compassion

I have read all of Tyler’s published fiction and admit I’m always looking for the male who is quirky enough to change the force of the characters. This novel was not as forceful but certainly more complicated.

The reader has seven sections to absorb, each section told to us in third person who is connected to one of the family member’s point of view. This formatting was superb since each division takes us through about one decade. Robin and Mercy Garrett (wife’s name of great importance) are married the day after Independence Day (also subtly important). They have three children David, seven years old when we meet him, and his two older sisters, Lilly, and Alice.

Tyler usually has some trauma weaved into her story. This is another small incident that balloons into a foreshadowing. On a vacation to some Maryland lake, Robin cajoles David into swimming which causes anxieties for many years. Robin, a plumber by trade, left this vocation and became a shopkeeper. Robin is intent on teaching David (not the girls) that being a man means you often cannot choose what you want to do. Friction blooms and Tyler’s understanding and tolerance for the efforts to become a man in a family is front and center.

It’s no surprise when David leaves home and then Mercy works on her exit, too. The coronavirus is dealt with on private levels. There is brilliance in this novel, similar to other Tyler’s rhapsodies of families. It’s not my favorite Tyler book, it became too entangled and slow-going in spots, but she still has the ability to craft a worthy novel.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this pre-published book.

French Braid is the story of an average family living an average life. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style of this book, beginning with the patriarch and continuing down through the years to his great grandchild. However, I didn't really find much remarkable about this story, except the sweet passage about the "French Braid". I feel like I had to trudge through a lot to get to that point.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was my first Anne Tyler read and it didn’t disappoint! Her writing style isn’t superfluous but is able to accurately paint many generations of family failing to communicate. The way she captured such perfectly human characters is amazing. A nice fun little read.

When the braid is undone, there are ripples which stay for hours afterwards. “That’s how families work, too. You think you’re free of them, but you’re never really free; the ripples are crimped in forever.”

Perfect!

Nobody does family dynamics quite like Anne Tyler. French Braid is a quiet novel taking us through the life of a family while giving readers opportunities to pause and reflect on our own families. I loved it.

I'm not sure why, but this was my first Anne Tyler. I was pleasantly surprised and will be looking for more.

This is my first Anne Tyler novel but it won't be my last.. This multigenerational tale isn't told in a traditional manner, in that you visit with different characters with decade long gaps in between AND IT WORKS. I found myself drawn to her style of writing and eager to return to the story. and visit more with these characters (despite the fact that I didn't really like any of them).

I enjoyed the journey through time and pealing off the layers of the characters and seeing the arc of their lives.. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book
To start with, I love Anne Tyler's books. French Braid was different then most of her previous books in that it was a multigenerational novel, concerning the Garrett family during the period from the 1950s through 2020.
This is a beautiful novel of the Garrett family, a quirky bunch from Baltimore, where else! All of the love, jealousies, little fights and support that one finds in a typical family amongst parents and siblings is here. Having just become grandparents, i can tell you that her understanding of the relationship that grandparents have for their grandchildren is captured perfectly.
This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

French Braid
A novel
by Anne Tyler

Thanks to NetGalley & Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This book has some good moments and some boring moments. Too many people crammed into the book.Not much happens that was noteworthy. Sorry, just bored me.

4.5 stars
This is a book that will sneak up on your and pluck all of your heartstrings. When I was finished, I had to go back to the beginning to figure out the connection as it started in the recent past, then went to the distant past, and finished in the present day. It makes sense reading the first chapter again after finishing the book, but it didn’t mean as much at the beginning. The second chapter takes us back to the Garret family’s family vacation in the summer of 1959 and each chapter jumps forward in time with various members of the family. I don’t always like books that give snapshots over time as opposed to full pictures in shorter moments, but the whole journey was a process that made that first chapter even more poignant in the rereading. This book was full of complicated characters that we never really got to know that well at any given point, yet still emotionally resonated over the years from start to finish. I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader’s copy.