"A major new novel from the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author--a freshly observed, funny, joyful, brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one family's foibles, from the 1950s up to our pandemic present. The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever venture beyond Baltimore, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their ...
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"A major new novel from the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author--a freshly observed, funny, joyful, brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one family's foibles, from the 1950s up to our pandemic present. The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever venture beyond Baltimore, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their teenage daughters, steady Alice and boy-crazy Lily, could not have less in common. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping his family's orbit, for reasons none of them understands. Yet, as these lives advance across decades, the Garretts' influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation. Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel of tremendous warmth and humour that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how close--yet how unknowable--every family is to itself."--
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Add this copy of French Braid: a Novel to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2023 by Vintage.
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Good. Minimal signs of wear. Corners and cover may show wear. May contain highlighting and or writing. May be missing dust jacket. May not include supplemental materials. May be a former library book.
Add this copy of French Braid: a Novel to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Knopf.
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Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of French Braid: a Novel to cart. $1.50, fair condition, Sold by Goodbookscafe rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Macon, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2023 by Vintage.
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Fair. Used. Paperback Book. outer corners are bent/curved and show some wear. Top and bottom edge of front cover is bent/curved. Lower right corner of front cover is curved above the book. The first few pages inside front cover are bent/folded/creased, in lower right corner. Dent/scuff marks on right side outer page edges.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Random House Large Print Publishing.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Random House Large Print Publishing.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Random House Large Print Publishing.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $2.09, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Knopf Publishing Group.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $2.09, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Knopf Publishing Group.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $2.09, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Knopf Publishing Group.
Add this copy of French Braid to cart. $2.09, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Knopf Publishing Group.
French Braid by Anne Tyler is an unusual story. The first chapter has Serena and her beau heading back to college after visiting his parents for the first time. They are discussing Serena�s family and how they are not a close-knit unit (she failed to recognize a cousin at the train station). The second chapter goes back in time to 1959 when the Garrett family took their first (and only) vacation. I felt the first chapter was a poor lead into the rest of the book. A prologue set in the present day told from David�s point-of-view would have been a better way to start off French Braid. The rest of the book tells the story of the Garrett family. The characters were not developed. We are told about them, but the are not brought to life. We are not given enough details on any one of the family members. David is the most fleshed out character with Mercy a close second. I did not like Mercy at all. She is a selfish woman who never should have had children. Mercy preferred painting to dealing with her kids. I was shocked (some might consider this a spoiler) when she took the sweet cat and dropped it off at the shelter. She wanted peace restored to her studio (the cat made no noise and did not disturb her). I wish Mercy had taken the cat home to Robin (he would have liked a companion). Robin and Mercy are lucky none of their children were hurt by their lack of attention (especially Lily). They are fortunate that their children turned out to be good parents. The story spans from 1959 through the present day. The story meanders along going from one generation to the next. I felt the pacing was sluggish (snails move faster). I kept hoping something interesting would happen (anything to happen). I did not feel that the story came together as a whole. When I finished French Braid, I was left feeling that I had just wasted three hours of my time. I thought the story was depressing. Near the end, we see how the title ties into the story. It is a strange analogy that I would not see someone from the present day making (maybe in the early 80s when French braids were popular). French Braid was not my kind of book. I failed to get into the story, and I was not a fan of the characters. I had not read a book by Anne Tyler previously which is why I picked up French Braid (I have been trying to expand my horizons). While French Braid was not for me, it will appeal to other readers. I suggest you obtain a sample to see if it is your type of story. French Braid tells us about the Garrett family from Mercy and Robin down through the grandchildren.
