FRENCH BRAID

Narrator Kimberly Farr enhances Anne Tyler's evocative novel, with its delightful fly-on-the-wall conversations. Listeners meet the Garrett family of Baltimore, who take their only vacation in 1959, an event that showcases their diverse personalities. The novel concludes in the 2020s. Chapters alternate among the characters' third-person viewpoints, which Farr imbues with distinction. As their children leave home, self-centered Mercy moves into her nearby studio to paint, while remote yet loving Robin hardly notices--or is in denial. The family has little contact with each other until Robin throws a 50th anniversary party, exposing secrets and unfulfilled dreams. The conclusion is beautifully moving. This is, arguably, Tyler's best work to date, and because Farr so capably fleshes out the entire Garrett family, audio is the unquestionable choice for maximum enjoyment. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]