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amyvl93 's review for:
Ladder of Years
by Anne Tyler
This is a really interesting book. Cordelia is in her early 40s, works as a receptionist for her older husband's house-based doctors surgery and has three children who are all growing up and away from her. She begins to be dissatisfied with her life and a chance encounter in a local grocery store leads her to ultimately just leave her family on the beach one day and start a life on her own.
This is a quiet novel, but I liked Tyler's reflections on how women become both more invisible and more taken for granted as they age. Seeing Cordelia begin to take control of her life and make her own decisions, even in a relatively small and quiet way was also quietly powerful. I did wish the novel had resolved in a different way - I found it pretty underwhelming and a bit frustrating - but I really enjoy Tyler's writing and will definitely have to read more.
This is a quiet novel, but I liked Tyler's reflections on how women become both more invisible and more taken for granted as they age. Seeing Cordelia begin to take control of her life and make her own decisions, even in a relatively small and quiet way was also quietly powerful. I did wish the novel had resolved in a different way - I found it pretty underwhelming and a bit frustrating - but I really enjoy Tyler's writing and will definitely have to read more.