Review: "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler

One of the reasons I picked out this book was because of the title. I'm not sure why, but it just sort of yelled, "Mya! Mya you have to read me!". So I did, and I'm glad I listened to that loud voice.

The story itself is as complicated and somehow as easy as life. Because really that's what it's about. It's the story of a family, of four very different people (and the very unique individuals who played roles in their lives) and how these four people struggled to be a family. It's also the intricate tale of individual lives that inevitably entangle, whether the characters want them to or not, as all of our lives do with our families.

What I enjoyed about the book was how Anne Tyler laid the story out. A few chapters were in one person's POV, the next were in another. It was interesting, and very entertaining, to see a different take on the same experience. While one didn't see complete lack in their childhood, another might. While the mother might remember an outing as annoying and tiring, a child might see it as an adventure and not remember the bad parts. It gave the story much more depth in that all the various POVs gave a different twist on what had happened, or what was happening at the time.

The themes in this book are timeless. What happens in our childhood forms us, and our perception of those events shape our very character. How one person reacts to the same situation isn't how another will, even when they are siblings. Being a parent is never easy, it can be a thankless job, and it isn't one that comes with an instruction manual. You do the best you can, and in the end, you have to hope your children understand that.

So, what was the deal with the title? It's in reference to a restaurant and one of the siblings. That's all I'm going to say about it, because really, finding out the truth of the title is like finding the kernel of the story.

I highly recommend this book. There is a reason it is considered a classic, and deservedly so. Pick it up, take it home, be sure you have several hours set aside to read it (cause you won't want to put it down too often), and see if you can spot just a bit of yourself in the characters. I know I did. I think I even found an aunt, a brother, and a cousin in there, too.