Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

If you didn’t notice the author of your most current read, it wouldn’t take long before you realized Clock Dance is an Anne Tyler book. Her stories always deal with the nitty gritty of life, focusing on flawed characters who both triumph and fail in their struggles, full of angst with a touch of humor thrown in to keep it interesting.

Willa Drake is a reactionary, not a rebel, but someone used to reacting to any given situation, trying to smooth out the cracks which get in the way of moving forward. First there’s her mom – a difficult woman (probably manic depressive) with wild mood swings who blows up at her family for relatively minor reasons, disappearing until her disposition changes. At one point when it looks like her mom is gone for good, the eleven year old Willa imagines successfully stepping up and filling the void to keep the family intact. This opportunity is over before it really begins, and the hinted abusive relationship continues, with Willa’s father constantly doing the “repaving” necessary to maintain a somewhat placid home life despite the strife. While Willa is able to adapt, her younger sister’s reaction is more rebellious, causing a rift between siblings which is never quite healed. Jump forward in time to Willa’s Junior Year in college, when she and her boyfriend, Dexter, are meeting her parents over the Easter break. We quickly discover that Dexter is domineering, firmly cajoling Willa down the path which is most beneficial to his needs, not hers. Ironically it’s Willa’s mother who calls him out on his selfishness, but the confrontation just pushes Willa farther along into a relationship which leads to more of the same – going along to get along – even if it means forgoing her own dreams. Once again, as a wife and mother, she finds herself placating husband and sons to keep the peace. Fast forward to 2017, with second husband Peter, a “retired” lawyer a bit older than 61 year old Willa (who he deferentially calls “little one”). I’ll let you guess the dynamics of their relationship.

Here is where the story gets interesting. Not particularly close to her two unmarried sons, Willa gets an unexpected phone call which sends her on a mission to Baltimore to assist her oldest boy’s former girlfriend who is in the hospital. Accompanied by a misgiving Peter, she goes to the rescue of this stranger who needs her help in caring for her precocious nine year old daughter, Cheryl (no relationship to her son). Kind of a convoluted mission, but one which just seems right. Finally we are able to see Willa crawl out from the shadow of others, possibly learning how to stand on her own two feet.

A marvelous character study of a wimpy pushover who we hope finds the inner strength to become her own person with an entire cast of quirky characters lending a hand in defining this journey. Tyler brings us back to her beloved Baltimore, as Willa, a somewhat petrified driver, learns how to navigate the streets as she chauffeurs her charges throughout the town. While this is a quick, simple tale, there is a lot of symbolism lurking throughout the narrative which will provide fodder for book club discussions.

Four stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If You Give a Man a Cookie: A Parady by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Duane Ajhar

Who better to write a take off on the well known children’s book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, than the original author Laura Joffe Numeroff, and she doesn’t disappoint with her new picture book, If You Give A Man A Cookie: A Parody. The 32 pages of tongue in cheek stereotypical behaviors Is perfect for those who have a sense of humor and love all things absurd. Of course, if a man wants a cookie, he’ll also need some milk and when he’s done he’ll simply put the empty milk carton back in the fridge and so on. The illustrator is Duane Ajhar who has created these comical adult oriented caricatures (as compared to the original artist Felicia Bond’s whimsical drawings meant for children). Of note is the man’s companion, a dog, whose antics are included in the story. Unfortunately, the jocularity is a little advanced for most small children, as this publication is geared towards a more mature crowd. While perfect as a bridal shower or gag gift, I don’t see a huge audience for this title, and some men (or even women) might find it a tad offensive, especially when Numeroff suggests the man “drag his sorry ass out of bed and get it himself”. What fun!

Four stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.