48 pages 1 hour read

A Spool of Blue Thread

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015

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Summary and Study Guide

Overview

A Spool of Blue Thread was published in 2015 and is the twentieth novel by American author Anne Tyler. The novel falls under the subgenre of Women’s Fiction. A Spool of Blue Thread received mixed reviews by critics upon publication but fared far better with the general public. After its commercial success, it was shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker Prize, as well as the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. Other works by Tyler include Clock Dance (2018), Redhead by the Side of the Road (2020), and French Braid (2022).

Plot Summary

A Spool of Blue Thread chronicles the lives of the Whitshanks, a Baltimore family close-knit to the point of clannishness. The Whitshanks tout closeness as an endearing family trait, along with patience, but the opening pages undermine both these “virtues.” When Abby and Red Whitshanks’ estranged son, Denny, calls them one night and proclaims that he’s gay, Red’s annoyance with his contrarian son sets the stage for the rest of the narrative. Abby and Red, and their other children to a lesser extent, wonder when Denny might grace the family again with his presence. When Abby and Red, both in their 70s, begin exhibiting signs of old age, their children must decide their fate.

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