Book description
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK •NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The beloved Pulitzer Prize–winning author tells the story of a lovable loser who's trying to get his life in order.
Barnaby Gaitlin has been in trouble ever since adolescence. He had this habit of breaking into other people's houses.…
Why read it?
2 authors picked A Patchwork Planet as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I re-read this book every couple of years.
I love most of Anne Tyler’s novels, but this is my favourite. It contains my all-time favourite boy-girl friendship in Barnaby and Martine, who work together. I completely recognise and relate to their colleague-type banter, full of inside jokes, winding each other up, and covering up for each other. I love that Martine is a bit moody - recognisably human - and that she has Barnaby’s back when no-one else does.
No matter how many times I’ve read this, when Barnaby finally realises how important Martine is to him, I always get…
From Beth's list on capturing the beautiful mess and realities of friendship.
This book has a few quirky characters that are flat-out hilarious and kept surprising me as I turned the pages.
Bottom line it’s a book about a man who thinks he was made for a clearance sale—where everything nobody wanted to buy ends up. But he’s also the most valuable person, in a way he doesn’t see, in every room he walks into, every person he follows, haunts, and helps.
I liked the book because it was funny as well as a worthwhile reminder that truth and grace are meant to be partnered. Sometimes grace opens the door for truth…
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