"A Spool of Blue Thread" by Anne Tyler

I feel like I started reading Anne Tyler late but I do like her writing. She has an uncanny ability to present the normal but then show us that actually there is no normal. This story is no exception. I realised as I read that it is really easy to make judgements based on our perception but we rarely know the true depth of the situation or individual. In this story, most of the characters have their own twists and most of these are hidden from the other characters. Is it a case of what we want to believe or is it based on our impression of another? Anne Tyler is skilled at quickly drawing the reader in and enabling them to feel part of the picture. This story tells the stories of three generations of a family and within each there is a deception. I couldn't have guessed the twists which came and this again draws me back to the question of how much we ever really know another person. The paradox of the isolation of an individual and the togetherness of a family is set in this story. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I know that this book was shortlisted for the Booker prize but I don't feel as strongly about it as I have with other Anne Tyler books. If you want a story about a US family across three generations, don't want to have to think too hard and want a nice read then I'd suggest this one.