Member Reviews

Anne Tyler’s French Braid is an intimate story of the Garretts, a slightly off-kilter family reminiscent of the Leary family of The Accidental Tourist. The Garrett’s are an unorthodox sort of family, loving each other at arms length but never demonstratively, sometimes not liking each other, but making it work. Mercy and Robin, matriarch and patriarch of the clan, are raising their children without overseeing them. They leave that job to their eldest, Alice, a young girl thrust into a parental role once she realized no one else held the title. Alice did her best to care for her sister Lily, the wild middle child, and David, the odd little boy.
Although not always likable protagonists, I found myself rooting for everyone throughout the book., not wanting to put it down. Now that I’ve finished, I miss these people, which surprises me.
Ms. Tyler is a truly original storyteller, and I find myself aways drawn to her books.

Was this review helpful?

I really wish we could give 1/2 stars so I could give this 3 1/2 vs 3 stars since I went back and forth btwn a 3 and a 4. Overall it wasn’t my normal type of read, with a slow paced seeming storyline and a very introspective detailed family lens that usually may be better suited for a tv series or movie, however it took a sharp unexpected turn towards the end that I didn’t care for but then suddenly redeemed itself with some of its takeaways and emotional family memory nostalgia in the end. I think for perhaps a certain audience this could be a 4 star, but for myself it’s a 3 - could see it being mixed reviews based on audience demographics and preferred reading genres.

Was this review helpful?

Didn’t particularly love this one. I liked all the characters but I wished it tied together more. It never really made sense to me why the son was so estranged. Or the beginning when the granddaughter sees her cousin and barely recognizes him despite doing so much together as families when they were young. I guess I was waiting for a bomb to drop as to why they had no relationship as adults but nothing really came of it.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
The dramas and ups and downs of a family when the "nest becomes empty." The mother decides to "do her own thing." The father just tries to please his wife. In all, it was an interesting story about what may happen in a family and the different directions each one takes.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars rounded up. I read this multi-timeline story of misfit family members in a single afternoon. It's pretty remarkable how it held my attention even with a pretty obvious lack of plot. The characters puzzled me—mostly in a good way—but the writing style made this cozy novel easy to read. If you want to read a book where a lot of twists and turns happen, this isn't for you. But if you want to read about the inner workings of a relatable family throughout the decades, this could suit you.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I just found it not my type of read and I sadly struggled through it.

Was this review helpful?

I was given a NetGalley widget for this one a year ago and I just got around to reading it and dangit it was so good. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have consumed this wildly relevant fictional tale, which felt not at all fictional, more like historical fiction, due to the times. The cover initially was what drew me in, but I'm so thankful to have stuck with it because the outcome was magical. Thank you big time to Knopf, Anne Tyler, and NetGalley for granting me access to this collectors daydream.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. While the story portrayed certain realistic dynamics of family, it was all a bit depressing. The book was broken down into 8 long chapters, each from the point of view from a different member of the family. These chapters, in my opinion, were too long and lacked interesting storylines/information. As you read the book and how distant this family is, you expect for the family to make amends at the end, but in reality, the family remains as distant from one another as possible. To me, this is just a sad thing to think about - a family not wanting to be a family with one another, therefore, this book just wasn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful glimpse into the love, heartbreak and humor of family. The novel is set across the timeframe of the 1950s and 2010s.

Was this review helpful?

French Braid follows the Garrett family over several decades. It is a funny and charming story that details the complexities of family life.

Was this review helpful?

An excellent book about family life over a 70 year period. Tyler specializes in portraying families. I very much enjoyed it!

Was this review helpful?

This is not the first book that I have read by Anne Tyler but it is clearly obvious that this is a strong writer. The ability she has to flesh out families and how they function with emotions involved is a joy to read.

The Garrett's are a family of five and the center of this novel. CoVid is at the core of this novel and we follow them as they navigate through their lives concerning it. How it causes separation between family members, chances for a different type of life, how feelings emerge due to children moving on. Having a freshman in college and a senior in high school, reading this hit home in so many ways. CoVid changed our family dynamic and caused some really awful things to take place and family rifts that may or may not be repaired. With that said, it also made us stronger, and I feel that throughout the book too. It is heartfelt and really hits the core of what many families go through. I really enjoyed this one.

Was this review helpful?

while I enjoyed Anne Tyler's breathing lessons and can recognize her craft this book just didn't hit the mark for me. I was only able to make it a little ways in before i gave up on it.

Was this review helpful?

French Braid by Anne Tyler does what Anne Tyler does best - meditations on family life. Told over 70 years and multiple generations/characters, Tyler shares about the lives of a middle-class family in Baltimore - unpacking the ways family members are both independent and interconnected.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Vignettes from the lives of three siblings that drift apart, their parents, and children, from a 1950s vacation to a 2020 pandemic quarantine.

Was this review helpful?

I admire the long view this book takes of a family. However, there is such a fussiness that may have been typified by the Edie McClurg-like narration. I felt a similar thing about Clock Dance, so this lack of strong narrative might be a part of recent Tyler books. I liked Vinegar Girl, but that had a spine of Shakespeare to support it. I guess I just found this kind of dull.

Was this review helpful?

This book was ok. I thought the writing was good but I can't say that I ever connected with the characters. At times I was skimming through the pages just looking for something more.

Was this review helpful?

Ann Tyler is an automatic buy for me when she releases a new book. This novel is like
a family reunion drama that is all too familiar. She writes great characters that leaves an
impact long after you finished the book.

Was this review helpful?

Not my favorite Anne Tyler piece. The story felt too scattered for my liking. I would have liked to see a deeper development for some of the characters and their background stories. Finishing this book, unfortunately, didn’t give me any sort of sense of “completion”. But as always, excited to see what she comes out with next!

Was this review helpful?

This was my first Anne Tyler, and I really enjoyed it. Her writing and storytelling captivated me. Multi-generational stories are my favorite, and her ability to craft fully realized characters, in a "short" book, was just too good.

Was this review helpful?