A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD by Anne Tyler

Finished Fr 11/23/18

The November, 2018 selection for the Contemporary Book Club

Anne Tyler's 20th novel

Roland Park, MD- oldest planned community in the US; 1890-1920. Bouton St., where the Whitshanks live is named for one of the founders. Oldest strip-mall. Six stores under one roof; Tudor looking; fire station on one end.

6.7 miles south of Coldbrook Rd./ Lutherville Timonium Elementary. About six miles to Baltimore city.
THE WHITSHANKS

J.R. (Junior) built the house for The Brill's. The house is a character in the novel.

Linnie Mae- He was 14 and he was 26. Insisted the the house had some 'blue'. Low class but tenacious.

Red- father that inherited the house on Bouton. When he met Abby is one of the 'family stories'. Merrick is his sister and she married into wealth, Trey. He's an alcoholic and kind of ignores her. They also have a house in Sarasota Fl.

Abby- The Mother Figure. A social worker, but her work is never mentioned in the book. I wonder why? Micromanages Denny

Amanda- lawyer; married a 'Hugh'. Upper income family

Jeannie- works as a carpenter in Red's construction company, founded by JR. 3 little boys.Married to 'another Hugh'.

Denny- On the scale? no goals, French horn, no long term relationships. The Prodigal Son

'Stem' (because of his beautiful neck), Douglas. He was 'adopted' by Abby and Red. His father was 'Trouble' the carpenter that gave JR his start when he came to Baltimore from the South. Stem's mother was one of Abby's 'orphans' and saw the family occasionally on holidays. She had an irritating laugh and the family thought that this woman was a kind of joke.

The book's page in wikipedia-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Spool_of_Blue_Thread