Anne Tyler Poradie kníh (chronologicky)

A funny, touching, and hopeful gem about love, marriage, and second chances unfolds as Gail Baines navigates a chaotic day before her daughter's wedding. Things spiral when she loses her job—whether she quit or was fired is up for debate. To complicate matters, her ex-husband Max arrives unannounced, lacking a suitable outfit and bringing along a cat in need of a home. As they prepare for the festivities, their daughter Debbie uncovers a troubling secret about her fiancé. Tensions rise as Gail worries about Debbie's future, while Max seems preoccupied with his meal choices for the reception. The day after the wedding, Gail and Max are poised to part ways again, but the events of the previous day force Gail to confront unresolved issues from their past. The narrative explores how "happy" can take many forms and highlights the wisdom that younger generations can impart. With sharp humor and keen observations, the story celebrates the complexities of family life and the enduring bonds that shape us. Renowned for her brilliant technique and wry humor, the author captures the essence of love and acceptance, making this a delightful read.

The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever venture beyond Baltimore, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their teenage daughters, steady Alice and boy-crazy Lily, could not have less in common. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping his familys orbit, for reasons none of them understand. Yet, as these lives advance across decades, the Garretts influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation. Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel of tremendous warmth and humor that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how closeyet how unknowableevery family is to itself

Micah Mortimer isn't the most polished person you'll ever meet. His numerous sisters and in-laws regard him oddly but very fondly. He measures out his days running errands for work, maintaining an impeccable cleaning regime and going for runs (7:15, every morning). He is content with the steady balance of his life. But then the order of things starts to tilt. And when a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son, Micah is confronted with another surprise he seems poorly equipped to handle...

A delightful novel of one woman's transformative journey, from the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Willa Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life. In 1967, she is a schoolgirl coping with her mother's sudden disappearance. In 1977, she is a college coed considering a marriage proposal. In 1997, she is a young widow trying to piece her life back together. And in 2017, she yearns to be a grandmother but isn't sure she ever will be. Then, one day, Willa receives a startling phone call from a stranger. Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore to look after a young woman she's never met, her nine-year-old daughter, and their dog, Airplane. This impulsive decision will lead Willa into uncharted territory--surrounded by eccentric neighbors who treat each other like family, she finds solace and fulfillment in unexpected places. A bewitching novel of hope, self-discovery, and second chances, Clock Dance gives us Anne Tyler at the height of her powers.

«Случайный турист» – один из самых известных романов Энн Тайлер. И это снова семейная история – о вечном конфликте мужского и женского начала, о попытках обрести себя, не вылезая из собственной скорлупы, и их тщетности. Мэйкон Лири пишет путеводители, но он ненавидит путешествия всей душой. Его путеводители – коллекции сведений о том, как в очередной вынужденной и невыносимой поездке ощутить себя как дома, минимизировать вмешательство в твою жизнь чужого и неприятного мира. На долю Мэйкона и его жены выпала страшная трагедия – бессмысленная гибель сына-подростка. С тех пор их брак стремительно разваливается. Отныне каждый пойдет своим путем – случайные туристы, бредущие куда глаза глядят в надежде, что однажды встретят попутчика. Печальный и смешной роман американского классика о том, как страшное и комичное шагают рука об руку, как привычки пытаются заглушить жизнь, как в обыденном таится ужас, а в неведомом – надежда, а может быть, наоборот. Роман был номинирован на Пулитцеровскую премию. Книга была экранизирована, фильм удостоился премии Нью-йоркской ассоциации критиков, а актриса Джина Дэвис получила премию «Оскар».

Could the taming of Shakespeare's shrew, Katherina, happen today? Find out in this funny, off-beat version from one of our most beloved novelists. "You can't get around Kate Battista as easily as all that." Kate Battista is feeling stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she's always in trouble at work--her preschool charges adore her, but the adults don't always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner. Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There's only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr.... When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he's relying--as usual--on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he's really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men's touchingly ludicrous campaign to win her round? Anne Tyler's retelling of The Taming of the Shrew asks whether a thoroughly modern, independent woman like Kate would ever sacrifice herself for a man. Its answer is as individual, off-beat, and funny as Kate herself.

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2015 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S FICTION PRIZE A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 'It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon...' This is the way Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she and Red fell in love that summer's day in 1959. The whole family on the porch, half-listening as their mother tells the same tale they have heard so many times before. From that porch we spool back through the generations, witnessing the events, secrets and unguarded moments that have come to define the family. From Red's father and mother, newly arrived in Baltimore in the 1920s, to Abby and Red's grandchildren carrying the family legacy boisterously into the twenty-first century - four generations of Whitshanks, their lives unfolding in and around the sprawling, lovingly worn Baltimore house that has always been their home... 'One of my favourite authors' Liane Moriarty 'She spins gold' Elizabeth Buchan 'Anne Tyler has no peer' Anita Shreve 'Anne Tyler is one of my favourite writers and this is a delicious book' Rachel Joyce

The accident that killed Dorothy - involving an oak tree, a sun porch and some elusive biscuits - leaves Aaron bereft and the house a wreck. However when she comes back from the dead, the cracks that reappear in their marriage are a poignant reminder that life may move on, but some things will forever remain the same.

Anne Tylers neuster, feinsinniger Roman über einen Mann, der verlorenen Erinnerungen hinterherjagt und dabei die Liebe findet Als Liam Pennywell seinen Job verliert, beschließt der 60-Jährige aus seinem Haus in eine Wohnung zu ziehen. Er hofft, dort Ruhe zu finden und auf sein Leben zurückblicken zu können. Doch dann kommt alles anders: Liam wird in der ersten Nacht in seinem neuen Heim überfallen. Als er am nächsten Tag im Krankenhaus aufwacht, kann er sich nicht an die Geschehnisse erinnern. Von da an ist er nur noch von einem einzigen Gedanken besessen: Er muss sein Gedächtnis wiedererlangen. Auf der Suche nach dem verlorenen Stück Leben lernt er die 22 Jahre jüngere Eunice kennen. Obwohl sich ihre Welten grundlegend voneinander unterscheiden, fühlen sich die beiden zueinander hingezogen. Doch als Liam erfährt, dass Eunice bereits verheiratet ist, droht ihre Liebe zu zerbrechen. Die verlorenen Stunden beleuchtet mit viel Charme und äußerst scharfsinniger Beobachtungsgabe das Leben eines einsamen Mannes, das plötzlich kopfsteht, obwohl er schon im letzten Akt zu sein schien

Quintessential Tyler, yet full of surprises, this enchanting novel explores the life of Liam Pennywell, a man adrift in his sixty-first year. Recently let go from his teaching job, he downsizes to a small apartment, where he spends his first night alone. A widower who has been re-married and divorced, Liam is proud of his memory but has learned to avoid confrontation and adventure. However, an unsettling event disrupts his routine, leading him to confront a troubling gap in his memory. In his search for answers, he encounters an unusual woman with her own secrets, sparking a late-blooming love that complicates his life further. His ex-wife, sensible Barbara, and his three daughters express concern for him, yet Liam continues on his path. His teenage daughter Kitty comes to stay, though it’s uncertain who is caring for whom. Meanwhile, his middle daughter Louise, a born-again Christian, adds to his confusion with her strong beliefs. This novel delves into themes of memory and loss, revealing how past relationships and incidents can illuminate a painful history for a man who realizes that merely staying afloat may not suffice.

In what is perhaps her richest and most deeply searching novel, Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her “outsiderness.”Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport—the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an “arrival party,” an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined.Even independent-minded Maryam is drawn in. But only up to a point. When she finds herself being courted by one of the Donaldson clan, a good-hearted man of her vintage, recently widowed and still recovering from his wife’s death, suddenly all the values she cherishes—her traditions, her privacy, her otherness—are threatened. Somehow this big American takes up so much space that the orderly boundaries of her life feel invaded.A luminous novel brimming with subtle, funny, and tender observations that cast a penetrating light on the American way as seen from two perspectives, those who are born here and those who are still struggling to fit in.

On August 15, 1997, two tiny Korean babies arrive in Baltimore, uniting two families with starkly different backgrounds. The Donaldsons, led by the decent Brad and tenacious Bitsy, embody American exuberance, supported by their extended family. In contrast, the Yazdans consist of the pretty, anxious Ziba and the assimilated Sami, along with his elegant Iranian-born mother Maryam, who approaches the occasion with quiet wonder. Each year, they celebrate 'Arrival Day' together, with increasingly competitive parties as the children—Susan, Jin-ho, and later Xiu-Mei—grow and adapt to American life. Meanwhile, Maryam, the optimistic pessimist, clings to her outsider status, feeling like a guest in a bewildering country despite her citizenship. The narrative is rich with achingly funny moments and cringe-worthy misunderstandings, exploring themes of belonging, otherness, and the complexities of family dynamics. It delves into the struggles for connection and goodness amidst cultural differences and personal challenges. The story culminates in an emotional twist that surprises and resonates deeply, showcasing the author's talent for capturing the intricacies of life and relationships.

Michael and Pauline seemed like the perfect couple - young, good-looking, made for each other. The moment she walked into his mother's grocery store in Baltimore, he was smitten, and in the heat of World War II fervour, they marry in haste.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered that she had turned into the wrong person. The woman is Rebecca Davitch, a 53-year-old grandmother. Is she an imposter in her own life? she asks herself. Is it indeed her own life? Or is it someone else's? On the surface, Beck, as she is known to the Davitch clan, is outgoing, joyous, a natural celebrator. Giving parties is, after all, her vocation-something she slipped into even before finishing college, when Joe Davitch spotted her at a party in his family's crumbling 19th century Baltimore row house, where giving parties was the family business. What caught his fancy was that she seemed to be having such a wonderful time. Soon this large-spirited older man, a divorcé with three little girls, swept her into his orbit, and before she knew it, she was embracing his extended family plus a child of their own and hosting endless parties in the ornate, high-ceilinged family home. Now, some 30 years later, after presiding over a disastrous family picnic, Rebecca is caught unawares by the question of who she really is. How she answers it-how she tries to recover her girlhood self, that dignified grownup she had once been-is the story told in this beguiling, funny and deeply moving novel.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered that she had turned into the wrong person. The woman is Rebecca Davitch, a 53-year-old grandmother. Is she an imposter in her own life? she asks herself. Is it indeed her own life? Or is it someone else's? On the surface, Beck, as she is known to the Davitch clan, is outgoing, joyous, a natural celebrator. Giving parties is, after all, her vocation-something she slipped into even before finishing college, when Joe Davitch spotted her at a party in his family's crumbling 19th century Baltimore row house, where giving parties was the family business. What caught his fancy was that she seemed to be having such a wonderful time. Soon this large-spirited older man, a divorcé with three little girls, swept her into his orbit, and before she knew it, she was embracing his extended family plus a child of their own and hosting endless parties in the ornate, high-ceilinged family home. Now, some 30 years later, after presiding over a disastrous family picnic, Rebecca is caught unawares by the question of who she really is. How she answers it-how she tries to recover her girlhood self, that dignified grownup she had once been-is the story told in this beguiling, funny and deeply moving novel.

Verheiratet und mit drei fast erwachsenen Kindern ist Delia Grinstead spurlos verschwunden. Doch für Delia ist das Verlassen ihres bisherigen Lebens ein Impuls, der sie in ein neues, aufregendes und unvorstellbares Leben führen wird.

In this, her fourteenth novel--and one of her most endearing--Anne Tyler tells the story of a lovable loser who's trying to get his life in order. Barnaby Gaitlin has been in trouble ever since adolescence. He had this habit of breaking into other people's houses. It wasn't the big loot he was after, like his teenage cohorts. It was just that he liked to read other people's mail, pore over their family photo albums, and appropriate a few of their precious mementos. But for eleven years now, he's been working steadily for Rent-a-Back, renting his back to old folks and shut-ins who can't move their own porch furniture or bring the Christmas tree down from the attic. At last, his life seems to be on an even keel. Still, the Gaitlins (of "old" Baltimore) cannot forget the price they paid for buying off Barnaby's former victims. And his ex-wife would just as soon he didn't show up ever to visit their little girl, Opal. Even the nice, steady woman (his guardian angel?) who seems to have designs on him doesn't fully trust him, it develops, when the chips are down, and it looks as though his world may fall apart again. There is no one like Anne Tyler, with her sharp, funny, tender perceptions about how human beings navigate on a puzzling planet, and she keeps us enthralled from start to finish in this delicious new novel.

Tridsaťročný Barnaby má za sebou búrlivú mladosť a je čiernou ovcou váženej rodiny. Tento dobrosrdečný mladý muž sa s humorom jemu vlastným snaží nájsť si miesto na zemi a odhaliť to, na čom vlastne v živote najviac záleží. Bývalá manželka ním pohŕda. Matka mu vyčíta nedostatok ambícií a neochotu pracovať s otcom v zabehnutej nadácii. A hoci má Barnaby trvalé zamestnanie, ktoré sa všeobecne nepokladá za prestížne, niektorí ľudia naňho pozerajú cez prsty. Jemu však jeho práca poskytla zázemie a našiel tu ľudí, ktorí sú naňho odkázaní a ktorým na ňom záleží. V Barnabyho rodine sa traduje, že každý z nich niekedy v živote stretne svojho anjela, ktorý zmení jeho život na dobré. Barnaby ešte zatiaľ nestretol svojho anjela. A možno ním je práve mladá Sophia...

" Un écrivain incroyable ! " John Updike A la mort de sa mère, Jeremy Pauling, célibataire, est soudainement forcé d'affronter l'existence en la seule compagnie des occupants de la maison de son enfance, devenue pension de famille, au cœur d'un quartier décrépit de Baltimore. Artiste de génie méconnu, Jeremy vit en autarcie dans son studio où il crée compulsivement. Quand il accepte de prendre deux nouvelles pensionnaires, Mary Tell et sa petite fille, il verra sa vie complètement bouleversée. A la surprise de tous, Mary répond à l'amour transi de Jeremy. A la fois compagne, mère pour lui, puis mère de famille, elle lui ouvre les portes d'un bonheur lumineux mais fragile. Anne Tyler dévoile ici avec subtilité deux personnages inoubliables. Le récit mené par les voies alternées de ceux qui les entourent, en contrepoint de celle de Mary, confirme le talent unique de l'auteur pour évoquer les vacillements Et les " petits riens " qui bouleversent les vies. " Sans Anne Tyler, le roman américain serait infiniment plus austère " Newsweek " Anne Tyler a créé deux personnages à la fois entièrement originaux et entièrement convaincants... un récit tranquille mais d'une éloquence surprenante, à admirer et garder précieusement. " London Sunday Telegraph

Per puro caso è la storia di una quarantenne, Delia Grinstead, una donna sposata con tre figli ormai quasi grandi, che all’improvviso – semplicemente allontanandosi da una spiaggia – si lascia alle spalle il matrimonio e la famiglia per costruirsi una nuova vita in una cittadina non molto distante da Baltimora. Tutto avviene apparentemente per caso, eppure nulla è veramente casuale. Cosa ha spinto Delia a compiere un gesto in cui, forse, ogni donna può riconoscere un proprio desiderio? È la sensazione di essere diventata inutile? Il ricordo di un uomo incontrato al supermercato? Il piacere della fuga? O, semplicemente, il senso di insoddisfazione e di limitatezza che pare inevitabilmente connesso alla vita famigliare? Mirabile ritratto di matrimonio, Per puro caso è, probabilmente, il più intenso, struggente e insieme divertito romanzo della Tyler, come sempre straordinariamente sensibile ai dettagli di cui è fatta la sostanza della vita quotidiana, e capace di offrirci una disamina tra spiritosa e impaurita del destino che ciascuno porta dentro di sé, già scritto.

On a beach holiday, forty-year-old Cordelia Grinstead, dressed only in swimsuit and beachrobe, walks away from her family and just keeps on walking ...

"An almost flawless story of love...Morgan emerges as a true hero." LOS ANGELES TIMES Morgan Gower works at Cullen's hardware store in north Baltimore. He has seven daughters and a warmhearted wife, but as he journeys into the gray area of middle age, he finds his household growing tedious. Then Morgan meets two lovely young newlyweds under some rather extreme circumstances--and all three discover that no one's heart is safe....

Eines Tages reicht es Charlotte endgültig. Sie hat ihr eintöniges Kleinstadtdasein, ihre Ehe, Ehemann Saul - einen spätberufenen Gottesmann und Prediger von Profession - und all die sonderbaren Schwäger und Verwandten um sich herum herzlich satt und beschließt, die Devise ihres Talismans, den sie einer Großpackung Haferflocken entnommen hat: Nur nicht stehenbleiben, zu beherzigen und endlich zu tun, wovon sie bald dreißig Jahre träumt: die große Reise in die weite Welt anzutreten. Als sie sich zu diesem Zweck ein paar Dollar von ihrem Sparkonto abheben will, gerät sie in einen Banküberfall und wird von einem jugendlichen Bankräuber als Geisel genommen. Die Flucht erfolgt zu Fuß, mit einem verspäteten Linienbus, sodann mit einem gestohlenen Auto. Überhaupt kommt bei diesem Unternehmen eigentlich alles anders als erwartet. Der Bankräuber entpuppt sich als ein harmloser Bursche. 'Opfer seiner Anwandlungen' und notorischer Pechvogel. So hat er auch nur lächerliche 200 Dollar erbeutet und wäre schon bald verloren, wenn Charlotte ihm nicht mit Rat und Tat und Reisescheck zur Seite stünde.

Mrs. Pamela Evans lives a lonely new widowhood outside of Baltimore, with only a house full of ticking clocks for company. Then she hires eccentric Elizabeth Abbott as a handyman and both discover that parts don't have to be a perfect match to work. "Anne Tyler is a magical writer." LOS ANGELES TIMES From the Paperback edition.

This omnibus edition of three full-length novels captures Anne Tyler's acerbic affection and compassionate clarity, the tragicomic shifts, the range of eccentricities and compromises, whereby the average family struggles to keep life under control. Her latest novel is "Saint Maybe".

Tyler makes things look so easy that she never gets enough credit, yet she portrays everyday Americans with such humor, grace and, ultimately, emotional force that her books are always deeply satisfying. In Saint Maybe her protagonist Ian Bedloe, stricken with guilt over the death of his older brother, raises three children unrelated to him by blood. He is strengthened in this Herculean task by the storefront Church of the Second Chance, to which he devotes himself with equal fervor. Someone once said all great writers are comic writers. Among living Americans, Tyler is exhibit A.

Contains: The Accidental Tourist; Breathing Lessons; Searching for Caleb.

In 1965, the happy Bedloe family is living an ideal, apple-pie existence in Baltimore.  Then, in the blink of an eye, a single tragic event occurs that will transform their lives forever--particularly that of seventeen-year-old Ian Bedloe, the youngest son, who blames himself for the sudden "accidental" death of his older brother.Depressed and depleted, Ian is almost crushed under the weight of an unbearable, secret guilt.  Then one crisp January evening, he catches sight of a window with glowing yellow neon, the CHURCH OF THE SECOND CHANCE.  He enters and soon discovers that forgiveness must be earned, through a bit of sacrifice and a lot of love...A New York Times Notable Book

A touchingly funny tale from the Pultizer Prize-winning author of Saint Maybe. Ben Joe Hawkes comes from a large, cheerful family of women. But when one of his sisters takes her baby and leaves her husband, everything--including his perceptions of the past--changes. Phenomenal.--The New York Times.

Reštaurácia je rovnako jedinečná ako život jej majiteľa. Jeho reštaurácia je mu útočiskom aj miestom úniku. Radšej chce byť samotárom bez domova ako by sa mal podrobiť tuctovým konvenciám dobrých a spoľahlivých občanov , ktorí zničili životy jeho najbližších. Ezra nie je sám ani vo svojej osamelosti.

Americká prozaička Anne Tylerová v románe Dychové cvičenia, za ktorý bola odmenená Pulitzerovou cenou (1989), opisuje jeden deň v živote Maggie a Iru Moranovcov. Hoci predstavujú nanajvýš nesúrodý manželský pár — Ira je životom sklamaný, večne nespokojný a introvertný, kým Maggie prekypuje energiou, je spontánna, výbušná, posadnutá potrebou každému pomôcť — napokon zisťujú, že ich zväzok je napriek vzájomným výhradám nerozlučný. Autorke, pohybujúcej sa na pomedzí komickosti a tragickosti, sa podaril autentický portrét americkej rodiny stredných vrstiev, ktorých životné kolízie i drobné radosti sú však blízke ktorejkoľvek rodine. Tým, že do deja vsúva spomienky oboch protagonistov a mení perspektívu rozprávania, docieľuje šírku a mnohovrstevnosť románu. A. Tylerová (1941) vyštudovala slavistiku na Columbijskej univerzite a svojimi jedenástimi románmi patrí k popredným autorkám súčasnej americkej literatúry — kritika ju prirovnáva k J. Updikeovi. Jej preferovanými témami sú partnerské či rodinné vzťahy, ktoré spracúva s obdivuhodným psychologickým vcítením a s láskavým humorom. Predchádzajúci román Cesty pána Learyho (1985) bol úspešne sfilmovaný.

Meet Macon Leary--a travel writer who hates both travel and strangeness. Grounded by loneliness, comfort, and a somewhat odd domestic life, Macon is about to embark on a surprising new adventure, arriving in the form of a fuzzy-haired dog obedience trainer who promises to turn his life around. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Short Stories by Ann Tyler, Bill Barich, John Updike, Carolyn Chute, Ursula K. Le Guin, Raymond Carver, and many others.

In the small town of Larksville, the Pike family is hopelessly out of step with the daily rhythms of life after the tragic, accidental death of six-year-old Janie Rose. Mrs. Pike seldom speaks, blaming herself, while Mr. Pike is forced to come out of his long, comfortable silence. Then there is ten-year-old Simon, who is suddenly without a baby sister -- and without understanding why she's gone. Those closest to this shattered family must learn to comfort them -- and confront their own private shadows of hidden grief. If time cannot draw them out of the dark, then love may be their only hope....

In a small Southern town teenager Evie Decker becomes obsessed with local rock singer Bertram 'Drumstrings' Casey, and decides to take her life into her own hands.

Meet the Tull family...Jenny, the daughter, high-spirited and determined. She was nurturing to strangers but distant to those she loved...cody, the oldest son. He was wild and incorrigible, possessed by the lure of power and money...Ezra, the gentle son. He was his mother's favorite, living out the dream of a "perfect" family that could never be his own...gathering around the memories of Pearl, their mother, whose final act of life affirms their own.

For thirty-five year old Charlotte Emory, leaving her husband seems to offer the only way out from the mundaneness of every day life's earthly possessions and emotional complications. In the bank, she withdraws enough money to escape a life and a marriage gone sour.

Dit is de kroniek van de Pecks, een uiterst eigenzinnige en wonderbaarlijk ouderwetse familie in Baltimore, en het verhaal van de Pecks, die de verschillende familieleden door goed vier generaties heen, ondanks al hun merkwaardige eigenaardigheden, als onmiskenbare Pecks verbindt. Toch valt af en toe een Peck ten prooi aan de verleidingen van de wereld en wijkt af. Zo verdwijnt Caleb, een dromerige jongeman, in 1912 plotseling spoorloos en maakt hij zich, onder de betovering van de eerste klanken van de blues, op naar New Orleans. Bijna 50 jaar moeten verstrijken voordat iemand serieus naar hem op zoek gaat, maar de inspanningen van zijn halfbroer Daniel, een inmiddels zeer bejaarde man, om Caleb - en daarmee een stuk van zijn eigen kindertijd - terug te vinden, zijn des te intenser. Samen met zijn kleindochter Justine, een charmante en liefhebbende vrouw met een hoed, reist de oude man kriskras door de Verenigde Staten op zoek naar Caleb. Justine's bijzondere gaven blijken daarbij van groot nut: ze kan de toekomst uit kaarten lezen, sluit iedereen in haar hart en heeft op de een of andere manier de gave om de chaos bij elkaar te houden.

By the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Breathing Lessons", this is the tale of Jeremy Pauling, a 38-year-old bachelor who has never left home. The death of his mother leaves him in charge of a ramshackle boarding house and the arrival of a female lodger brings him a challenge he can't handle.