3/5 stars

What's it about? The loosely knit Garrett family appears to be a pack of lone wolves, but their ties persist through generations. The novel centers around Mercy, Robin, and their three children, and ripples out to new characters as the family grows. Each chapter is an intimate snapshot of one Garrett descendant that expertly paints a vivid portrait of the family as a whole. A leisurely read that satisfies.

How’d I find it? This was a Christmas gift that I’ve been longing to crack open.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of family dramas à la Ann Patchett or Damon Galgut's The Promise and those seeking an easy, well-written novel.

What stood out? Anne Tyler writes people so expertly, and her portrayal of families is honest and relatable. As a resident of the DMV, I also appreciate the nods to East Coast culture (particularly the local accents). The chapters read like standalone novellas, which helps the novel move along at a clip. I was never bored.

Which line made me feel something? The sarcasm and know-it-all demeanor of Alice, Mercy and Robin's eldest daughter, provides entertaining passive-aggressive interludes. These were my favorite bursts of humor in the novel.

3/5 stars

What's it about? The novel follows Lotto and Mathilde, a couple who marries young and impulsively, and explores intimacy, performance, and the experiences that shape us as individuals and partners. We view the relationship from each perspective, allowing the reader to revisit scenes with new information (usually one of Mathilde's many secrets).

How’d I find it? A mystery. I came to Lauren Groff through Florida and hearing her speak at AWP, and somehow acquired Fates and Furies in the intervening years.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of Ann Patchett's The Dutch House (for the chapters covering Lotto's side) and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl (for Mathilde's), readers who enjoy relationship dramas with split perspectives (like An American Marriage by Tayari Jones)

What stood out? Come for the language! It's Lauren Groff, so the writing is candied with deliciousness and rippled with humor (see "Which line made me feel something?" below). The bracketed asides from an omniscient narrator offer lovely nuggets of wit and context. I also marveled at the excerpts from Lotto's plays within the novel and how deftly Groff inhabited her characters' creative spaces. I struggled with the thumbprint of misogyny in the novel; even when acknowledged, the treatment of women (both how they're treated and written) felt somewhat icky. It's perhaps for this reason that I found few of the characters or sex scenes believable.

Which line made me feel something? "She stretched her long arms over her head, and there were little nests of winter hair in the pits. She could hatch baby robins in those things."