The Beginner's Goodbye
by Anne Tyler
Nominations: Carnegie Longlist 2013, Dublin Longlist 2014
Date Read: August 23, 2022
The Beginner’s Goodbye follows Aaron, crippled in his arm and leg from a childhood illness, who isn’t held back in his life by anything. Aaron and his sister, Nandina, both work in their family’s privately owned publishing house. Aaron is married to Dorothy, who he loves very much, but his marriage isn’t going as smoothly as he had hoped. And then Dorothy suddenly dies, struck by a falling tree.
Although she’s gone, Dorothy randomly shows up in Aaron’s life – on a sidewalk, at the home they shared, waiting in a line. They are able to have conversations they weren’t able to have when she was alive, giving Aaron an opportunity to confront his grief and the truth about how much they kept from each other. Although Aaron’s grief is profound, he learns how he could have been a better husband.
This tragic accident obviously changes Aaron’s life, but it also changes Nandina’s life. Due to the near-total destruction of his house, Aaron is forced to move back in with his sister. During this time, the contractor Aaron hires to remodel his home, Gil, meets him at Nandina’s house because Aaron is unable to return to the house. He simply cannot face it.
As the house is slowly put back together again, Gil and Nandina fall in love. As Aaron’s home nears completion, his grief seems to come to a completion as well. He moves back in and seems to reoccupy his life as well, opening himself to new experiences and opportunities. He asks out his coworker Peggy for a date and they eventually marry and have a child. Nandina also marries Gil and they have twins.
The Beginner’s Goodbye is a beautiful novel about self-realization, self-reflection and the power of love. A beautiful novel, beautifully executed. I love me some Tyler!
Comments
Post a Comment