When a tree crashes on the front porch and kills Aaron's wife Dorothy, Aaron not only loses a spouse, but also loses his joy of living. The story opens with Aaron seeing his dead wife with him just about anywhere, although her popping up is when he least expects it.

Aaron is physically handicapped even if he minimizes his handicap, and he works at the vanity press founded by his father. His sister is a controlling woman both at the company and in their personal lives. Dorothy was a doctor who didn't care for appearances. Actually she was on the frumpy side and was sloppy in her daily habits. It had been Aaron who did most of the housework and cleaned after her. Aaron's family had never warmed up to Dorothy.

The damaged house and Aaron's insistence in living in it until it is physically impossible when the roof caves in is a good symbol for Aaron's internal turmoil. When he finally decides to get the house fixed, Aaron starts to heal also.

Through his inner musings and life's events, Aaron works through his grief and eventually, Dorothy disappears. At the end, Aaron manages to rebuild his life.

The title of the novel comes from the publishing press's series of "Beginner's---," which are how-to books.

The novel is a tender yet bittersweet examination of a marriage and family relationships. The characters are all quirky, an Anne Tyler specialty and a delight, but despite their quirkiness they have great depth and their own special way of looking into each other's psyches.

everything as I am an Anne Tyler fan and I may be quite biased.

Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is her 17th novel. Her 11th, Breathing Lessons, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. A member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, she lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Some of her books have been made into movies.

its usage of language is excellent, and the book takes a sensitive look at a marriage and one cannot help but feel empathy for the protagonist. Anne Tyler is a master of psychological insight when it comes to her characters and the events that take place throughout the novel.

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Created Aug 08, 2012 at 5:09pm • Submit your own review...