The second book written by this prolific author. In this one she displays again her ability to show characters so realistically and yet so individually that you wish you knew someone like that. In this story, there is a young man who lives with his sick brother. At the end of the month, they stretch their budget by taking everything out of the freezer and making a pizza. It serves the dual purpose of defrosting the freezer. It has been years since I had a freezer that needed to be defrosted. As I read this, I was remember all the chipping and water on the floor and having to wait until everything was out of the freezer. I was also remembering all those days when the cupboards were almost bare and I put together things that otherwise had never been paired. And yet I never thought of doing so on a pizza.
The title of the book is from something the little girl in the story had done. She is actually dead. This story begins right after she dies and describes the different ways the family and friends mourn. She had decided to honor God by putting tin cans on a tree.
Anne Tyler is able to describe so well how some people withdraw, some go numb, some hide their feelings, etc. Great story.