Play Book Tag discussion

A Spool of Blue Thread – Anne Tyler
Audiobook performed by Kimberly Farr
3.5***

A family saga covering three generations of Whitshanks and the familial home that anchors their story. The novel is divided into four parts, beginning in 1994, then moving back to 1959 in part two, farther back to 1931 in part three, and ending with part four set in 2012.

Tyler shines when writing about everyday life and the small dramas that make up American families. I find these characters so believable and relatable, even when their circumstances are very different from anything I’ve experienced personally. The universal elements include sibling rivalries, parents vs children, young love, long-term partnerships, the compromises we all make in those relationships which are the most long-standing in our lives, and the many ways we love one another.

Kimberly Farr is fast becoming a favorite narrator for me. She does a marvelous job narrating the audio book. She has great pacing and gave each character a sufficiently unique voice that I was never confused about who was speaking.


LINK to my review

Wasn’t she a great narrator for this book? I loved it.

I didn't LOVE this book, but I also LOVED the narrator of the audiobook.

After reading I wouldn't put Tyler on my must read list- but Digging to America sounds very intriguing.

Do you think I would like this one?

It is set in a part of Baltimore where my sons went to school so I am slightly intrigued; especially for the Decathlon. But some people seem to really have disliked it.

Anita, I think is a good, solid book that deals with several generations of family interacting during "crisis" Not great, but very solid.

Anita ...
Like other Tyler books she writes about the drama of family relationships. Nothing much happens, and yet that's the case in most of our lives. The "big" events in our lives are big to us, but not necessarily newsworthy.

As long as you're not expecting a plot-driven story, I think you'll appreciate the way she crafts the story, and the way she develops the characters (or most of them).

Jason wrote: "Anita, I think is a good, solid book that deals with several generations of family interacting during "crisis" Not great, but very solid."

100% agree. No twist, turns, and suspense- but slow moving character building. I'd recommend doing the audio as well.