I read this novel for Book Club, and having never read Anne Tyler, was unsure what to expect. A few acquaintances told me they either hated it or disliked it so much that they didn't finish it, so I had a few qualms before starting. I'm glad to say that I actually came away with a positive feeling about it.

I suppose that I felt that a number of the characters (Maggie, Jesse) reminded me of members of my family, so I was able to easily get into the story. Maggie is the central character, and although some of her actions irritated me (the lies, the freakouts, the arguments), I felt that she did things because she actually cared. And, although I'm not married, I could sympathize with the idea that no one outside of a relationship can truly see how that relationship works.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me - the Mr. Otis section, and the whole scene when flighty Maggie gets out of the car and imagines a life without Ira after an argument in the car - but, overall it was an easy, interesting read.