I heard this will be Anne Tyler's last book. That's a shame, since I love her writing.

That said, I liked this book less than most of her others. The characters were less likeable, and it was hard to decide what the story was about, really. I didn't start to get into the book until Part 3. The storyline of Junior and Linnie's unusual courtship was interesting, and I wish the book had focused more on them and their marriage and less on the other characters.

Overall, the different storylines didn't hang together very well. The book felt disjointed, although that might be, in part, because I started reading it and put it aside while I was travelling for over 3 weeks, so it was a bit difficult to pick up the thread again (pun intended).

I would still recommend this book for Tyler fans. There is enough in it to like, especially her descriptions of some of the little details about the characters and their lives. Tyler's forte is those details, and it's what I love about her writing. Her books are not about earth-shattering events, but explore the lives of ordinary people and small pleasures and kindnesses. However, I felt this book meandered a little too much.