Tabbymom's Blog

re-read of Fair Tomorrow

tabbymom — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:53:03 +0000

This is a Loring title I remember because the opening takes place on Thanksgiving. Pamela Leigh and brother are running an inn in Maine. Dead mother, and lousy father, which may be a first. Anyway, the father’s 2nd wife starts trouble; a Thanksgiving dinner guest, Scott Mallory, comes to Pamela’s aide. He’s an attorney. Anyway, she’s pretty hard-working, which is another oddity for Loring works. Typical story/typical ending.

What then is love re-read

tabbymom — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:41:06 +0000

Typical Loring fare, though this is a decent one following her death; Patricia Langston is beautiful; her father is a disgraced judge; she leaves Europe to come home where her father’s life has been threatened; handsome Andrew Harcourt comes to the rescue; a bit of intrigue and drama; ends up like all the rest; beautiful girl/handsome man end up together; there’s wealth and beauty all around. Wholesome romance.

Accidental Tourist re-read

tabbymom — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:36:21 +0000

A pretty decent Anne Tyler novel; I started it, lost the book, and found another copy; Macon is married to Sarah; they have a son; he is murdered while away at camp; the aftermath is a separation; Macon writes travel books, thus he travels; meets another lady with a son; he moves in; then Sarah wants to move back into their house; Macon moves back with her; in the end, Macon gets back with the other lady with a son.

Back When We Were Grownups

tabbymom — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:50:30 +0000

A nice Anne Tyler read. Rebecca is a widow after 6 years of marriage. Her husband had 3 daughters with his first wife; then he and Rebecca has another one. Rebecca is middle-aged, living in the family home; she gives parties on her property for a living; many family interactions; Poppy, her husband’s uncle, lives with her; he is soon to be 100. So Rebecca contacts the college boyfriend that she ditched to marry her husband; they go out and Rebecca ends up dumping him again as he’s very stodgy and inflexible. Book ends at Poppy’s 100th birthday party with all the family around.

Searching for Caleb

tabbymom — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:26:16 +0000

A favorite Anne Tyler novel. Justine and Duncan are cousins; they marry and move away from the Baltimore Peck family. They have a daughter Meg. Grandfather Peck moves in and Justine and Grandfather search for Grandfather’s brother Caleb. Grandfather passes away before seeing Caleb. Justine flies to New Orleans and meets Caleb, takes him out of the home and into hers. He is different and doesn’t stay. Justine and Duncan finally go to work for the circus; she tells fortunes; he will be a mechanic. Meg ran off to be unhappily married.

Disobedience by Jane Hamilton

tabbymom — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:32:33 +0000

In my opinion, her best book yet told from high school senior Henry’s point of view. He innocently discovers (opened his mother’s email accidentally) that his mother is having an affair. His younger sister Elvira is into Civil War reenactments until it’s discovered on one trip, that she is female and not the male the others expected. Henry goes off to college, later to find that the mother broke it off; he credits his father for his patience. Starts and stops at the right place.

re-read of East of the Mountains, David Guterson

tabbymom — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:54:12 +0000

This is by far my favorite Guterson book. Ben Givens is a 73-year old retired doctor, recent widower, who has been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. He goes out on a “hunting trip” in which he plans to kill himself, to spare his daughter and family grief. He has a car accident among other things and has another journey than what he expected. Flashbacks to his past as well. A very good read.

The Giant’s House/Elizabeth McCracken

tabbymom — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:04:04 +0000

This started off and continued well until toward the end; Peggy Cort is a librarian, single, rather dull; she meets a patron, who at the time was 12, named James. James has a pituitary defect, which makes him a giant; they become friends; she lives vicariously through him; she becomes part of his family in a way. James’s mother dies; he stays with his aunt and uncle; they build a house for him that fits him; James dies at 20; Peggy mourns; she meets James’s father, has a one-night stand with the father; then she’s pregnant and tells everyone the baby is James’; she loses her job, moved into James’s house. She has a daughter who she passes off as James’; the book ends there with Peggy giving tours of James’ house and living in the back yard of the aunt and uncle. It was good up until he died; then she got lost in the story. Mixed bag.

Re-read of Dearly Beloved by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

tabbymom — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:26:43 +0000

I read this several years back. Sally and Mark are getting married. Many of the people attending the ceremony silently share their thoughts on marriage or life in general. I think I enjoyed it more on the first read. Unremarkable.

Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter McCrumb

tabbymom — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:41:17 +0000

A very satisfying McCrumb novel; several stories going on. Laura Bruce is the minister’s wife; she’s pregant; he’s in the mid-east; Nora Bonesteel is there; the Underhill family whose oldest son kills the parents, his younger brother, then himself, leaving 2 siblings; Taw and Tavy, old friends, one of whom acquires cancer from the river; Laura’s baby is stillborn; she adopts a 3-yr. old orphan; all is resolved in the end, but favorite characters, Spencer Arrowood, Joe LeDonne, Nora.