A review by catherine_the_greatest
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

4.0

Macon Leary loves the familiar. He loves routines and hates travel. And yet, he has made a career writing travel guides for businessmen who also hate to travel. He advises them of the best hotels to stay in other cities, even other countries, where things are most like home. In between dreaded trips, he's enjoyed a predictable life with his wife and adolescent son, until his son is killed, and his marriage falls apart. After Macon's wife, Sarah, leaves him, he sinks into depression, trying to simplify his life with ridiculous routines. One of these routines results in an injury that sends him back to his childhood home to live with his three siblings -- two brothers who also have not had successful marriages and a younger sister whose sole purpose in life is taking care of her family.

In the meantime, Macon's dog (actually his dead son's dog) has developed some major behavior issues. A pushy single mom that works at the boarding kennel inserts herself into Macon's life as a dog trainer and potential love interest. Muriel is a hot mess of dammit, the complete opposite of cool, composed Sarah, but Macon finds himself swept along by her (not without some resistance). This weird romance was my least favorite part of the novel, although I understand the necessity of shaking Macon's rigid existence as he sinks into depression.

My favorite part of the novel was Macon's family, all super quirky and set in their ways. Macon's publisher, playboy Julian Edge, is as fascinated with the eccentric family as I am, and manages to unexpectedly work his way into the mix.

This novel is all about people changing, doing the unexpected, getting out of their comfort zones. Although I don't love the ending; overall, it's a really good story.