The beginner's goodbye : a novel

  Tyler's bright charm resides in her signature blend of the serious with the larky. Adept at dissecting family life, she is also intrigued by lonely guys, the focus in The Accidental Tourist (1985), A Patchwork Planet (1998), and Noah's Compass (2009). Her newest variation on this theme is an exceptionally lithe, sparkling, and covertly philosophical tale, set, as all her novels are, in Baltimore. Hampered with a crippled leg and arm, Aaron has always refused to be coddled, fending off his guilt-ridden mother and strong-willed sister. He married Dorothy, a doctor, because he loved her brusqueness and pragmatism. He is devastated when she dies in a freak accident that destroys their house until Dorothy begins returning from beyond. These precious, if mysterious, encounters are all that matter to Aaron. He moves in with his sister, turns his wrecked house over to Gil, a sympathetic contractor, and barricades himself in his office at his family's vanity press to avoid frilly, cookie-baking, overly helpful Peggy. The press stays afloat by selling its Beginner's series, little how-to books that Tyler astutely uses to illuminate how ill-prepared we are for life's relentless demands. As Gil restores Aaron's home, Aaron slowly rebuilds his life in this funny, sweet, and wise tale of lost and found love. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With a generous print run and ambitious national promotion, this scintillating gem of a novel will be one of Tyler's most popular hits. --Booklist (Check catalog)