Still turning on small moments of human connection and. Still convinced of the family as the cornerstone of American life, yes. Tyler’s accomplishment in this understated masterpiece is to convince us not only that the Whitshanks are remarkable but also that every family - no matter how seemingly ordinary - is in its own way special. So: 'A Spool of Blue Thread' is 'middlebrow,' yes. A Spool of Blue Thread Kindle Edition by Anne Tyler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 6,282 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle Edition 11.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook 0. Tyler’s depiction of the thought processes of an elderly demented person - “a gear sort of slips in your head,” Abby thinks - is poetic and deeply moving.Įarly on in this novel, the affable, folksy narrator informs us that “there was nothing remarkable about the Whitshanks” - none was famous or exceptionally beautiful or intelligent - but “like most families, they imagined they were special.” Might it have been the arrival of the Whitshanks’ last child, nicknamed Stem, when Denny was just 4, which triggered feelings of hostility that grew only larger when Stem ended up taking over their dad’s business? Then again, sometimes the Whitshanks’ clannish ways just drive Denny nuts.Ībby, a 1960s-style earth mother who feels compelled to look after society’s misfits and orphans, is the novel’s most commanding presence, even with her cognitive impairment. Even he is at a loss to understand the source of his misery. A problem child who grew into a troubled adult, he picks up and discards identities like a restless kid in a Halloween shop.

For the first time their beloved house is starting to show signs of neglect, and Denny, the third-born and now in his late 30s, is still frustratingly adrift.ĭenny’s estrangement from his family is one of the domestic mysteries that animates the novel. The story takes place in the recent past: Abby and Red are in their 70s, and Abby has begun “disappearing,” both physically and mentally, while Red, who is hard of hearing, struggles to recover from a heart attack. As the story opens the reader sees Abby and Red Whitshank receiving a call from their middle child, Denny, who has disappeared for many months.

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