January 23, 2016 THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME

The weather was incredible this weekend. Mild and great for running--less bulky without all those extra layers. I was in heaven--pared down to only the essential--it was wonderful.  I decided to give up on my running app this weekend because I really didn't like running with my iPhone strapped to my arm. It was bulky and uncomfortable--really annoying when I started shedding layers too. It was a huge pain in the butt-- like performing a delicate surgery every time I tried to take off my jacket. I can't imagine wearing it in the summer either. It will definitely be too hot to keep that strapped on my arm--and forget the really weird tan lines. So I'm back to manually logging my miles and listening to my old iPod. I thought it was a classic but I've been informed that it is a second generation NANO with one GB--a real dinosaur--but it feels like home to me. Speaking of dinosaurs, the main characters of Anne Tyler's latest novel A Spool of Blue Thread are definitely feeling their age.

First of all, Anne Tyler is an excellent writer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. This is her twentieth novel and it is a beautifully written saga of three generations of the Whitshank family. Abbey and her husband Red have always lived in the family home that was originally built by Red's father Junior in 1920. It actually serves as the anchor for the entire family--with generations of family gathering on the spacious porch.  Abbey and Red are parents to four grown children and several grandchildren. They have two daughter and two sons. Denny is the "prodigal" son while Stem, the "adopted" son, is steady and reliable. This is the story of family secrets, jealousies, disappointment and resentment. It is also the story of parent/child relationships, forgiveness and understanding. Tyler's writing is flawless--the characters seem alive--the house seems alive--and their relationships, however complicated, are real. They could be any family as all families can be difficult to navigate--and the Whitshanks are no exception.  After tragedy strikes though, the family has to make decisions about the house they love, and how best to take care of aging parents. Read this story to find out what happens to Abbey, Red and their family--it's about 350 pages--or a 5 mile run--that you will thoroughly enjoy. You will actually feel as though you know the Whitshanks and miss them when you finish the book.