Clock Dance
By Anne Tyler

304 pages, Knopf; 1st edition (July 10, 2018)

Reviewed by VIVIAN MORTENSEN
September, 2018

Willa is the "nice girl" who always smooths ruffled feathers. In her childhood, she soothes her little sister whenever her mother acts out. At twenty, traveling to meet her fiancé's parents, she has a disturbing encounter with a man sitting next to her on the plane. But when her future husband dismisses the incident, Willa goes along with him instead of creating a scene.

Now in her sixties, Willa wonders if tranquility is enough. She lives with Peter, her current husband, on an Arizona golf course where the heat seems stifling. She wants to finish her college degree but can't get motivated. She'd love to dote on grandchildren but she's lost touch with her two unmarried sons. Her life is in a rut.

When a Baltimore woman calls to report that Denise, her son's former fiancé, has been shot in the leg, and Denise's nine-year-old daughter, Cheryl, needs a babysitter, Willa feels compelled to help them. Things get more complicated when everyone assumes Cheryl is Willa's granddaughter and Willa doesn't correct them. Peter trails along too although he can't stop grumbling and misses his obedient little wife.

The Baltimore neighborhood is a revelation to Willa; full of characters and lifestyles she has never met before. The street is filled with older, crumbling homes inhabited by quirky characters. The little girl, Cheryl, is slightly overweight and needs hugs. Airplane, the dog, has crazy ears. Denise, the girlfriend, is very opinionated and smart-mouthed. The local doctor Ben is a hippie. The boy next door has tattoos and a motorcycle. While her husband Peter rejects it all, Willa is in awe.

The set-up is typical Anne Tyler who has written over 20 books. She creates characters who seem ordinary until you meet them. Their lives become rich with detail, from the trauma of selling Girl Scout cookies to finding a restaurant in a strange city. And while there's not much plot, it's their day to day existence that is fascinating. The writing is witty and at times laugh-out-loud funny. A real treat to read.