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denisekaylink 's review for:
A Spool of Blue Thread
by Anne Tyler
My initial review went into the Goodreads ether, so this is not my immediate reaction, but a week or so later.
I keep whining about wanting books with realistic my-age female characters, so why am I less than satisfied when they appear? In this case, it's not the book, it's me. I like a lot of plot, and this is more character driven.
Abby, who feels to me like the protagonist for the first half of the book at least, is mom to four* adult children. She worries. She guides/manipulates. She loves. She bites her tongue. She has her own insecurities. She feels real.
The Abby-Denny relationship feels central. Abby can assume Red: they are a long-married, no-drama unit. Denny, on the other hand, is that trouble/troubled son whose love and presence cannot be assumed, and who keeps his story private. This kid, I assume, does not friend Mom on FB, blocks her on Instagram, calls only when he needs something. The other kids resent that a bit, but feel it as well--they don't see his posts, either. I'm happy that we see through his eyes a tiny bit at the end.
Anyway (is this the least helpful review ever?), rich characters save this book for me. My favorite is Linnie Mae: she saw what she wanted and worked the system to get it.
*you know why this is asterisked if you read the book
I keep whining about wanting books with realistic my-age female characters, so why am I less than satisfied when they appear? In this case, it's not the book, it's me. I like a lot of plot, and this is more character driven.
Abby, who feels to me like the protagonist for the first half of the book at least, is mom to four* adult children. She worries. She guides/manipulates. She loves. She bites her tongue. She has her own insecurities. She feels real.
The Abby-Denny relationship feels central. Abby can assume Red: they are a long-married, no-drama unit. Denny, on the other hand, is that trouble/troubled son whose love and presence cannot be assumed, and who keeps his story private. This kid, I assume, does not friend Mom on FB, blocks her on Instagram, calls only when he needs something. The other kids resent that a bit, but feel it as well--they don't see his posts, either. I'm happy that we see through his eyes a tiny bit at the end.
Anyway (is this the least helpful review ever?), rich characters save this book for me. My favorite is Linnie Mae: she saw what she wanted and worked the system to get it.
*you know why this is asterisked if you read the book