A Spool of Blue Thread

Finished April 10
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler, read by Kimberly Farr

This novel has four parts with the first and last set in the present.
The main part of the book reviews the lives of Abby and Red Whitshank as their children grow up and leave home. Denny is the one Abby worries about the most. He communicates the least, doesn't seem to have a plan for his life, and grows resentful when asked questions. As Abby and Red begin having some minor health issues that get the children worrying, their two boys move back home to "help out". We see the interactions between the four children, the background to their lives, and how they get along now.
The second part of the book goes back to how Red and Abby's relationship begin, a family story that Abby tells often, always starting it with the words "It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon...".
The third part of the book goes back to Red's parents, how they met, how they ended up together and what brought them to the house that Red and Abby now live in.
The last part of the book is in the present again, The decision has been made for the Whitshanks to move on, and we see the more adult interactions between the four Whitshank children, particularly Denny's maturity.
As always, Tyler's story is about people, ordinary people living their ordinary lives, and the insight she brings to this is always one that sheds light on our own lives and how we live them.
A very enjoyable read.