Peachy Reads

This novel is a bit more cohesive than the last Anne Tyler I read.  It's a multi-generational family history.  And like many families, the reality behind the facade is a little different from what you first suppose.  There are secrets, and jealousies, and disappointments, and surprises.  It's like the proverbial onion, peel away once layer, and there's yet another layer concealing a difficult truth, a damaged relationship, an unexpected revelation.  It's like a typical family reunion, one which will strike a familiar chord for many readers.

Eleanor is a bit of a unique individual, to say the least.  We know early on in the novel that she's socially awkward, but it's only gradually that her backstory is revealed and we find out why she is the way she is.  Her naive, socially tone-deaf interactions with what would be common everyday experiences for most people are comical, but her dependence on vodka and her unhealthy relationship with her mother leave the reader wondering about her wellbeing.  She pairs up with a quirky IT guy and together they forge a surprising friendship that allows both of them to blossom as individuals and allows Eleanor to gain control of the demons of her past. This is a different novel that I really didn't know much about going into it, but quite enjoyed by the end.