Author: Anne Tyler
Publication Information: Knopf. 2018. 304 pages.
ISBN: 0525521224 / 978-0525521228
Book Source: I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Sentence: "Willa Drake and Sonya Bailey were selling candy bars door-to-door."
Favorite Quote: "Sometimes Willa felt she'd spent half her life apologizing for some man's behavior. More than half her life, actually. First Derek and the Peter, forever charging ahead while Willa trailed behind picking up the pieces and excusing and explaining."
I don't really understand the cover or the title of the book. Is the clock dance the fact that the book synopsis talks about the defining moments of Willa's life? Is the clock dance that Willa finally reaches an age where she decides that she needs to determine her own direction rather than to let it be determined for her? Is the clock dance simply that Willa is older and in the later years of her life?
The cactus and the blue sky on the cover seem to refer to Willa's home place at the beginning of the book. However, that setting has little relevance to the story itself. Most of the story is set in Baltimore, Maryland which has its share of blue skies but is certainly not known for its cacti. It's a good thing that I relied more on the description for the content of the book.
The description sets up a character and a plot that has appeared in many books. A man or a woman reaches - shall we say - a certain mature age. A lot of life has passed. A moment, a family member, an encounter, or some other trigger precipitates a reaction. The reaction leads to a reflection on past decisions and choices. Reflection leads to the possibility of change. The rest of the book becomes about that transition and if and how it occurs. Most of the books rely on creating characters that are sympathetic if not endearing. If we as readers fall in love with the character, then we invest in the story. If we don't, then we read it and move on.
This book is no different. The synopsis presents the defining moments of Willa Drake's life. A phone call leads her to a her son's ex-girlfriend and her daughter. They are complete strangers, but yet were almost family. Complications ensue, yet they fulfill a need in Willa's life, a need perhaps that she did not even acknowledge existed. The story winds to an expected conclusion.
The first part of the book presents, in short glimpses, the points in Willa's life that define her path. These bring her all the way to the age of sixty. The major theme here is the fact that Willa has chosen the path of least resistance and allowed her direction to be determined mostly by the actions and suggestions of others. Then, it seems all of a sudden she finds gumption and is stirred to make different choices - more importantly, to make her own choices.
What makes this book an interesting one, however, is not the main character Willa Drake. The book is her story, but I don't feel like I get to know Willa. As such, I don't feel like I vest in Willa's story. The eccentric cast of characters and relationships she finds in Baltimore don't call for a reader to become involved but rather just provide entertainment value through their daily lives. A precocious child. An independent woman in need of help. An eclectic collection of neighbors. However, then the story seems to come to a rather abrupt end rather than a rounded out conclusion. I am entertained and amused by the characters but find myself somewhat unmoved by Willa's story.
I don't really understand the cover or the title of the book. Is the clock dance the fact that the book synopsis talks about the defining moments of Willa's life? Is the clock dance that Willa finally reaches an age where she decides that she needs to determine her own direction rather than to let it be determined for her? Is the clock dance simply that Willa is older and in the later years of her life?
The cactus and the blue sky on the cover seem to refer to Willa's home place at the beginning of the book. However, that setting has little relevance to the story itself. Most of the story is set in Baltimore, Maryland which has its share of blue skies but is certainly not known for its cacti. It's a good thing that I relied more on the description for the content of the book.
The description sets up a character and a plot that has appeared in many books. A man or a woman reaches - shall we say - a certain mature age. A lot of life has passed. A moment, a family member, an encounter, or some other trigger precipitates a reaction. The reaction leads to a reflection on past decisions and choices. Reflection leads to the possibility of change. The rest of the book becomes about that transition and if and how it occurs. Most of the books rely on creating characters that are sympathetic if not endearing. If we as readers fall in love with the character, then we invest in the story. If we don't, then we read it and move on.
This book is no different. The synopsis presents the defining moments of Willa Drake's life. A phone call leads her to a her son's ex-girlfriend and her daughter. They are complete strangers, but yet were almost family. Complications ensue, yet they fulfill a need in Willa's life, a need perhaps that she did not even acknowledge existed. The story winds to an expected conclusion.
The first part of the book presents, in short glimpses, the points in Willa's life that define her path. These bring her all the way to the age of sixty. The major theme here is the fact that Willa has chosen the path of least resistance and allowed her direction to be determined mostly by the actions and suggestions of others. Then, it seems all of a sudden she finds gumption and is stirred to make different choices - more importantly, to make her own choices.
What makes this book an interesting one, however, is not the main character Willa Drake. The book is her story, but I don't feel like I get to know Willa. As such, I don't feel like I vest in Willa's story. The eccentric cast of characters and relationships she finds in Baltimore don't call for a reader to become involved but rather just provide entertainment value through their daily lives. A precocious child. An independent woman in need of help. An eclectic collection of neighbors. However, then the story seems to come to a rather abrupt end rather than a rounded out conclusion. I am entertained and amused by the characters but find myself somewhat unmoved by Willa's story.
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