What readers think of Clock Dance, plus links to write your own review.

Subtle, yet heartwarming and inspiring, Clock Dance manages to create a protagonist, Willa, that represents the internal voice that so many women have. The voice that tells us to act politely under all circumstances and never create a fuss. The voice that asks ourselves "why haven't I done more with my life?" The voice that tinges all new experiences, large and small, with anxiety. What makes the book worthwhile is seeing how Willa grows from a timid young woman to an empowered individual. The small details bring the story to life and keep the reader engaged and turning the pages.

Willa Drake's ordinary life is challenged when she responds to a frantic call from a stranger demanding that she fly cross country to care for a nine-year old girl whoes mother is the victim of a gun shot wound. Not having ever met the mother or child, Willa moves into a community not at all like her own. I found the eclectic neighbors interesting as Willa is transformed by her ordeal. Although, at times Willa's co-dependency and need to please others is overwrought , I enjoyed the dynamics of the characters relationships with one another . Their acts of kindness and trust as well as jealousy and betrayal answered the big question, "What do you live for Willa?"

Clock Dance is a story of "family" and a woman yearning for something more as she gives her all to others.

We are back in Anne Tyler land. Baltimore, disappointing family, finding a purposeful life and who makes up a family are some of the themes that crop up. Her writing is like slipping on an old sweater, warm and comforting. This may not be her best work but it was enjoyable.

Great story of family dynamics, relationships, self sacrifice. Willa's metamorphosis was a pleasure to witness. Finally she discovered her wants and needs mattered. No doubt many women out there will understand Willa's ultimate decision, a woman who gave finally realizing taking and receiving is equally important, thanklessness is no longer an option, appreciation is the norm. Selfish men surrounded this quiet soul, pangs of empathy poured out of my heart. One enjoyable read, inspiring to boot.

Anne Tyler happens to be one of my favorite authors. She can take a can of beans and make a whole meal out of it. Very talented author who writes about the everyday, often mundane parts of every mans life. I have always found her character development to strong, her story line to practical and her voice to be magical.

In this new book, Willa Drake moves through time. It starts with her in high school, at home with her family, moves to her college days and marriage, then on to the birth of her children and the loss of her husband. Her next chapter in life is to surrogate-parent the ex-girlfriend of her oldest son, along with that ex's daughter. This is where Willa finally starts to see herself as a person and come to terms with her life, both past and present. Her new friends quietly set her on a path of self discovery and Willa starts running full steam ahead.

I have read all of Tyler's books and really enjoyed most of them. This one left me wanting more. I felt that the short bits of Willa's life that we were shown were not enough to feel like I knew her. The last half of the book was more satisfying and the characters more fully developed. I would not recommend this for my book group to discuss. But Tyler's characters in the last half of the book were quirky and interesting as always.

Anne Tyler is a master storyteller, able to create characters who breathe right off the page. But her latest novel, Clock Dance, can't help but feel derivative. Willa, a middle-aged, empty-nester going through spiritual malaise, meets a cast of eccentric Baltimoreans who breathe new life into her dull, boring life. We've seen this story before in previous novels like The Accidental Tourist, Saint Maybe and others. Clock Dance is a decent read, beautifully written and sharply observed, but I kept waiting for something more transgressive to happen to break up the well-worn formula.

Readers often need to feel connected to the protagonists in novels. Although the cover piece noted that this novel would be covering significant events within a 10 or 20 year span, I didn't feel involved enough with Willa to realize that the discussed events were significant. Willa felt more like a woman that I might have politely met at a shower or birthday party with whom I would not be concerned about meeting ever again. This lasted through Part I of the book.
By the time Willa made a real decision accompanied with real action, although a bit out of character, the new people introduced were much more interesting. The newer characters had much more depth and were easier to visualize. I was also surprised by how much Willa's sons disliked Peter. I didn't believe that the previous storyline had prepared the reader for that development. There didn't seem to be enough build up to Willa's personality change to substantiate the novel's ending. It appeared that Taylor was tired of writing.