Anne Tyler's The Tin Can Tree is a novel about death. And family, and friends, and the effect a death can have on so many people.

In this case, it's the tragic death of Janie Rose, a six year old girl, that has affected the lives of so many.  Janie's mother can barely drag herself out of bed to face the day.  Janie's young brother Simon doesn't really understand why his family seems to be falling apart, and why his Mom is just not there for him anymore.  And Janie's neighbors, brothers Ansel and James, are trying to move on with their lives, but unable for various reasons.

The little girl's death has touched so many people in this small town, and Anne Tyler lets us feel every bit of the pain and sadness felt by these characters. I was impressed with the realness of the characters and the setting.  I felt immediately transported to this small town, as if I were a part of the grieving family.

Despite the book being over 40 years old, I am struck by how some things never change.  The way a mother grieves for her lost child, even blaming herself, despite the flaws in her logic.  And the way friends and family will gather to try to help, when tragedy strikes.  Bringing food to the house and trying to force-feed the grieving family members.  It doesn't matter when or where the tragedy unfolds, these things seem to be universal.

Another theme examined in this book is that of family sticking together, and taking care of each other, even at the sacrifice of one's own happiness.  In this case, it's James in the "caretaker" role of his sickly brother, Ansel.  James will not abandon Ansel, even as his girlfriend loses her patience and tries to pry James away.  But when it comes to taking care of his brother, James feels, there is simply no option. Many of us feel the same way.  We do for family what we might never do for others, even if it means sacrificing our own livelihoods or independence.  After all, when it comes to family, you do what needs to be done.  At least, that's what happens in this book. 

The book dragged a bit, and the clipped speech patterns exhibited by the main characters did get annoying after a while.  The characters frequently interrupt each other, leaving sentences dangling, unfinished.  Similarly, the characters are frequently only half-listening to each other.  So when one speaks, his intended meaning is often missed by the listener, even though we, the readers, are aware of what's being said.  I suppose the author was simply going for a realistic feel here.  After all, in families, people frequently interrupt each other, and fail to really listen to each other.  Still, the partial sentences, and the misunderstood meanings grated on my nerves.

Basically, it's a slow story, about a family dealing with tragedy. With well-developed characters, and a very detailed setting, the story hits home on several levels.  But there's very little action, and the characters do not change too much, throughout the course of the story.  On the other hand, there is a fairly exciting ending, and a hopeful message about moving on, after tragedy unfolds. 

If you come across this book, give it a try. 

Recommended: Yes