Reviews

As usual from Anne Tyler French Braid is a beautifully crafted story of family and relationships. The first chapter seems a little disconnected from the rest of the story. However, it sets the scene for the state of the family in 2010 before going back to the 50s then gradually forward to the present day.

horsley123's review against another edition

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5.0

Classic Anne Tyler - a warm hearted tale of a family, their love for each other alongside the usual misunderstandings and grudges. The 'French Braid' in the title is the way that families are intertwined, and even when you try to disentangle yourself or the hair from the braid, the waves still remain.

As usual with Anne Tyler there is no great climax or moment of peril, simply beautifully written prose, a calm understanding of family dynamics and a host of wonderful characters. So, so good,

mattrw88's review against another edition

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3.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️

tidecaller's review against another edition

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1.0

i wanted to like this but it just was a slow read, it felt ancient and dated and the writing just made me dislike this book very much. if this was one of the authors better/good books, then i dont want to imagine how horrible other books of her will be. the characters were all so miserable and i couldn't understand a single thought or decision of any of them.

baileymoroney's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

one of my best friends gifted me this book for my birthday, and i’m so glad she did. i wasn’t expecting to be as invested in the book and the characters as i was, considering the book's length, how it took place over several years, and mentioned many characters. while i’m very close to my immediate family, i feel like anyone can relate to the intricacies this family represents, including myself. the book also represented to me the importance of not letting things go unsaid; so many of the characters felt different weighing emotions because they didn’t share how they felt or didn’t know how to communicate with each other. this book tugged at my heart.

Content Warnings

hecaldwell's review against another edition

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3.0

I felt this book started off well, but sort of never delved deep. I felt I didn’t know the characters, there were blips of them. It’s an easy to read book though

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