Book - Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler

It is so good to love another author with a back catalogue to enjoy. My third book from Anne (my other fave with a back catalogue is Annie Murray - should I just look to authors called Anne?) has her trademark delving into small-town family life.

The blurb is compelling: [parapphrase] a woman just ups and leaves her husband and 3 almost grown kids without leaving a note or a hint of dissatisfaction. This act is teased out for a few chapters but we know it’s coming and I loved (and guessed) the twists and turns to get us there.

Unusually, I have made no notes as I was reading Ladder of Years which says nothing jumped out. It’s also the fastest I’ve posted about a book - I finished it less than 12 hours ago.

Everything is as it should be in the Tyler world. The title featured late too, all the suspense building as we galivant around Baltimore in the US.

I love Delia and would happily read more about there, which is fine as these characters run through the Tyler books. 

I read fiction more quickly than memoirs or other non-fiction. This explains why I only read 11 books in 2022, a similar number to recent years. I always have a book on the go, but only 3 were pure fiction last year. Another 2 were historical fiction and the rest were memoirs and non-fiction about history. You get a theme here.

So, in 2023, more fiction, please.