Noah's Compass
by Anne Tyler
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Book Summary Information
Author: Anne TylerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2010-01-05
ISBN: 0307272400
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Knopf
Book Reviews of Noah's Compass
Book Review: "Those who forget the past tend to regret the future"
Summary: 4 Stars
This gentle and unassuming book opens with a unusual incident that sets the tone for the entire life of Liam Pennywell, a middle-school teacher who lives in suburban Baltimore. Searching for contentment and meaning as his life becomes increasingly insular, Liam moves to a new and smaller apartment. From the outset, Liam is certain this will be the final dwelling place of his life. Convinced there are no new prospects were likely for him, Liam has accomplished all the conventional tasks - grown up, found work, gotten married and had children. But Liam's world is strangely skewed when he wakes up in a hospital room with a helmet of gauze on his head. All he can remember was lying on his back in the dark and appreciating the sheets. His daughter Xanthe tells him he was injured by an intruder who broke into his apartment and hits him over the head. He has concussion. The intruder must have gotten in through the patio door which he had left open. Inexplicably, Liam completely at a loss and doesn't remember a thing no memory of the incident, his lost memory like a physical object just beyond his grasp, An actual gap in his mind "full of empty blue rushing air."
The accident is a catalyst for Anne Tyler's deep exploration of Liam's inner-life - a man who feels he has ended up so alone. With two failed marriages, his first wife dead, three daughters who now lead their own lives, and a sister he seldom speaks to, the merest handful of friends, more like acquaintances, Liam's promising youth has somehow trailed off in a series of low-paying jobs far beneath his qualifications. He's naked and alone and unprotected and unloved, a mood he created by his current circumstances. An appointment with a Dr. Morrow follows as Liam attempts to explain the attack, but true change occurs when he meets Eunice, a personal assistant at Cope Development who offers to help Liam with his resume. When she shows up at his apartment carrying a bag of fried takeout chicken and begins to harbor personal feelings towards him, Liam in turn finds himself attracted to this uncommon younger woman, her plainness and innocence so much a part of her charm.
Embarking on a relationship with the same guilty secrecy, the same tantalizingly halfway physical relationship, Liam is plagued by the same lack of confidence. While Eunice alternates between shyness and startling boldness, Liam begins to study her character. Then there's a shocking revelation, and Eunice is driven frantic while Liam ponders the clues that had failed to alert him. As Liam sinks into a deep, bitter anger and a memory of the scene this so humiliating, so grimace-making, for the first time he realizes he isn't as alone. His ex-wife Barbara, his three daughters Kitty (who comes to stay), Xanthe, and Louise, and his grandson Jonah, all help him out of his difficult path in life and try to how him there indeed are a few moments of joy.
A subtle and sensitive look at the expectations of tangled, fraught lives, the memory the attack ultimately forces Liam to look back at a life ambushed by complexities. The story remains compelling throughout, a gentle look at a placid man on the downside of life where everything evolves - true love, family and friendships. While the accident facilitates a rediscovering of his family, Liam finds his niche in life, perhaps a path to redemption. The message is that life goes on, as will Liam, who finds comfort in the most unlikeliest of places, much comforted by his experiences in his search for happiness. Mike Leonard February 10.
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