BOL_3731156Synopsis: “When the kids are grown and Mercy Garrett gradually moves herself out of the family home, everyone is determined not to notice. Over at her studio, she wants space and silence. She won’t allow any family clutter. Not even their cat, Desmond. Yet it is a clutter of untidy moments that forms the Garretts’ family life over the decades, whether that’s a painstaking Easter lunch or giving a child a ride, a fateful train journey or an unexpected homecoming. And it all begins in 1959, with a family holiday to a cabin by a lake. It’s the only one the Garretts will ever take, but its effects will ripple through the generations.“

My Review

This was such a lovely story! A wonderful saga about the lives of an ordinary family through the decades.

Mercy was an interesting character as were her husband, children and grandchildren. I loved the way this story spanned the years and generations. I loved finding out about different family members and how the family dynamics changed. It reminded me a lot about my own extended family and how we interact with each other, or sometimes don’t!

I really liked Mercy in the beginning, but as the story developed I wasn’t so keen on her, just some of the things she did disappointed me.

I’ve enjoyed books by Anne Tyler in the past, and this audiobook has put her back on my radar once again thanks to the BorrowBox app via my local library. Her writing is superb, she writes characters who are so fleshed out that I felt like I might bump into them in real life, especially if I lived in Baltimore!

Kimberly Farr, a new-to-me narrator was perfect, she really brought all the characters and the book to life. I particularly liked her portrayal of Mercy, David, Greta, Lily and Kendall and Benny.

I highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy gentle books about families through the generations.

Book 9/20

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