Bookseller Reviews
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A beautifully observed family drama,
I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that Anne Tyler is one of my favourite writers ever.
“French Braid” is another wonderful novel weaving around the sto... READ MORE
Poignant
Sad story beautifully written. This author has an enviable way of reaching to the heart of human experience and expertly depicting family dynamics. One o... READ MORE
A journey of self discovery
Anne Tyler's 'French Braid' swept me up into a world of complex family relationships that felt achingly real. Through her skillful characterization and int... READ MORE
A slow burner
Do not read this expecting a fast paced plot or fireworks.This is a poignant, slow-burner of a novel showing the nuances and complexity of family life, inc... READ MORE
The Mistress of The Domestic Sphere
Tyler is the mistress of the domestic sphere. She is brilliant on ordinary lives twisted into sharp focus by the lens of her writing. Her books remind me o... READ MORE
Synopsis
A major new novel from the beloved prize-winning author - a freshly observed, funny, joyful, brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one family's foibles, from the 1950s right up to the changed world of today.
The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever venture far from home, but in some ways they have never been further 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' influence on one another ripples unmistakably through each generation.
Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel bursting with 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.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781529115475
- Number of pages: 352
- Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 22 mm
- Weight: 248g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allGorgeous - loved it!
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy.
We all know how fabulous a writer Anne Tyler is so this was a superb treat to land in yesterday's p... READ MORE
Beautiful, an utter joy to read
It’s been a while since I read Anne Tyler and oh what an utter joy this book is. An all-absorbing, beautifully crafted family saga that weaves its way thro... READ MORE
Not what I expected
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... READ MORE
Anne Tyler - French Braid
It is coincidental encounter at a station: Serena sees a young man and is not sure if he’s her cousin. Her boyfriend cannot believe this, how can she not k... READ MORE
Enthralling & Entertaining!
A wonderful tale of a family unit, and the individuals who are a part of it.
Mercy Garrett, while never a natural homemaker, has done her bit and now that... READ MORE
French Braid by Anne Tyler
More of the same lovely, easy writing by Anne. This covers a family over about 50 years. Not a great deal happens and it is very satisfactory. Slightly bar... READ MORE
More like dreadlocks than a French Braid
I'd not read anything by Anne Tyler before...and sadly cannot say I'll be enthused to try another... It's about a family through generations but beyond tha... READ MORE
Not for me - selfish, boring family through generations...
Oh dear, this really wasn't my type of book but I always try to be fair even when that's the case. But I found this tedious and really hard going. It's ver... READ MORE
French Braid a must read
Another wonderfully observed novel from Anne Tyler, who without any hesitation is my favorite author. We follow the lives of the Garret family with such d... READ MORE
Wonderful, as always!
“So this is how it works. This is what families do for each other - hide a few uncomfortable truths, allow a few self-deceptions. Little kindnesses. And li... READ MORE
Another great novel from Anne Tyler
Tyler has a marvellous way of bringing me right into the story so that I'm there as an extra character. Just like in real life, I am bewildered, trying to ... READ MORE
Oh dear ...
This was the first Anne Tyler book I’ve read and I’m sorry to say I wasn’t overly impressed. It was just a book about a family, and not a very interesting... READ MORE
Charming family story!
I’ve always enjoyed Anne Tyler’s novels which are so good at depicting family relationships in small town America, in fact usually they are set in Baltimor... READ MORE
Realistic Family Drama.
This story starts in the 1950's and spans to present day 2020. It's the story of a family as they grow and forge their place in the world. The author focus... READ MORE
Vague Family Love
The Butterfly Effect suggests the slightest, most inconspicuous event can change the course of history.
Anne Tyler's "French Braid" covers generations of... READ MORE
Beautiful novel about a family drifting apart
'French Braid' is another stunning novel from Anne Tyler which explores the lives of the Garrett family from different perspectives from the 1950s right up... READ MORE
Magical!
4.5 rounded up
In the summer of 1959 the Garrett family take their first and last family vacation to sleepy woods but this holiday is pivotal to future ev... READ MORE
Brilliantly written family portrait
Thanks to NetGalley & Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
I couldn't wait for this... READ MORE
Classic Anne Tyler
There's not a single book of Anne Tylers I haven't read or loved and this one is just as brilliant. Another story of family life and how they navigate twis... READ MORE
How the Family dynamic effects everyone
I found myself intrigued by the way one person in a family can effect how all members in a family interact with one another and that effected how they inte... READ MORE
Super family nuances
I absolutely loved Anne Tyler's French Braid. Had to try and mete it out lest I galloped through too quickly. Loved getting to know the Garrett family. Won... READ MORE
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