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Title:	French Braid
Authors:	Tyler, Anne
Genre:	Fiction
Pages:	352
Year:	2022
Language:	English
Description:	Mercy and Robin Garrett have three children - Alice, David and Lily. In the decades from the 1950s to the present day, life with all of its vicissitudes and the individual foibles of the Garretts create the engaging record of a middle-class family from Baltimore. With its multigenerational range and its rich portraits of relatable and flawed characters, this is a beautifully crafted story that both weaves together and unravels the threads of family life. [Larger font]
Categories:	Fiction, Family Saga, Relationships, Social commentary/perspectives, America, Larger font, 2024 Titles

Reviews

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By: WAIHEK 002		2025-06-23 09:27:56

This was mostly popular and the gentle, slow pace was enjoyed by members - not all!

By: AUCK 216		2025-02-26 14:01:22

We enjoyed it overall, but it felt more like a commentary of peoples' lives than a story. Also we kept waiting for something to 'happen' regarding the lake holiday as it's referenced a lot, but no obvious 'event' transpired.

By: CHCH 299		2025-02-07 11:22:25

Everyone enjoyed this book, although all agreed it is not the sort of book you read if you want twists and turns and unexpected events. Despite nothing much seemingly happening it generated a lot of discussion about the characters and the family dynamic, and all agreed Anne Tyler is a superb writer, even if most thought it was not her best book.

By: AUCK 008		2024-10-17 14:39:08

Generally we were quite taken by this book which described, often in minute detail, the daily life of one family over three generations. At least a couple of us mapped out a family tree to help us follow all the names. Many members related this story to their own families. One, though, felt it was too detailed with regard to daily activities.

By: AUCK 135		2024-10-09 15:00:58

We all enjoyed this book. Anne Tyler is the master of delving into family relationships.

By: TAUR 018		2024-08-29 10:32:29

A lively discussion around family relationships. Page 150 quote... "The lengths this family would go to so as not to spoil the picture of how things were supposed to be" - this seemed to summarise the storyline in this book. The author seemed to focus on the mundane family happenings to only expose more mundane family events. We were waiting for another exciting development that didn't eventuate.

By: ALEXA 004		2024-08-26 10:27:56

Mixed reaction to this book. Some felt it too slow and pointless, while others loved the writing style and the 'slow burn'. Great discussion on the concept of family.

By: MATAM 001		2024-05-02 13:25:57

We all enjoyed this book. It was a deceptively easy read but showed what a fine writer Anne Tyler is. She has such a sensitive, nuanced approach to family relationships. The questions gave us an opportunity to discuss our own families, and to explore 'French Braid' in more depth.