Huntington Public Library Adult Reading Challenge

This book started off very promising, but I don't know that it really went anywhere plot-wise. I felt that the aim of portraying the distant relationships between members of this family was harmed by switching narrators. I can appreciate the conflicts proposed in this novel, but I don't know that I felt much was resolved by the end.  

  From the first page, the reader is transported to the world of 1800's England. Basically, the main plot concerns the life and times of a young man who knows from a very young age what he wants to become. The strong cast of supporting characters and their plots are interwoven with the main one for an engaging and entertaining read. You will not be disappointed.

 Although I am not a fan of stories that flip back and forth between times, I stuck with this one, and I'm glad I did. Interesting and engaging with enough story in both times.

 The third book in the trilogy took the story from London to Ireland and beyond. The 25 year gap allowed for the introduction of new characters while maintaining the family line.

Epic novel of generational heartbreak, grit and integrity (or the lack of) in this Korean family Who migrated to Japan. All their struggles of survival from the 30’s until 90’s and the racist, political, religious issues. Heartfelt story! It is a long book and could have used more editing. So many characters.

  In Anne Tyler's typical quiet narrative style, this novel goes through the Garrett family history, from the 1950s to the current 2020s (including references to the pandemic). Central to the novel is Mercy, a homemaker and artist who in middle age, decides to live independently from her typical family duties once her children are grown and out of their home. The narrative follows the stories of her three children, Alice, Lily and David from childhood to adulthood and Anne Tyler's nuanced writing about the complexities of family relationships is powerful in its reflective tone.