The Beginner's Goodbye

     I wish I could say The Beginner's Goodbye was another amazing book by Anne Tyler, but it was just mediocre.  When she writes well, this woman is untouchable.  Unfortunately, the last few books have lost their edge.
     In The Beginner's Goodbye, Aaron's wife Dorothy dies in a freak accident.  Aaron is devastated by her death.  He is still struggling to live again a year later, but Dorothy's spirit returns to help Aaron find a new beginning in life.
     The story was okay, but the characters were flat and stilted.  Without an attachment to the characters, it was difficult to care about what happened to them.  One of the things I love best about Anne Tyler is falling in love with her characters, but I didn't even get to know them in this book.
     If you love Anne Tyler, reread her other books instead.  If you haven't read any of her books, read her Pulitzer Prize winning book Breathing Lessons or my favorite, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.