Searching for Caleb: Amazon.ca: Anne Tyler: Books

Product Description

"Magic and true, dazzling and wise...It has an astounding confidence, depth and range...A wonderful, wonderful novel."

THE BOSTON GLOBE

Duncan Peck has a fascination for randomness and is always taking his family on the move. His wife, Justine, is a fortune teller who can't remember the past. Her grandfather, Daniel, longs to find the brother who walked out of his life in 1912, with nothing more than a fiddle in his hand. All three are taking journeys that lead back to the family's deepest roots...to a place where rebellion and acceptance have the haunting power to merge into one.... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Ingram

An early triumph from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Breathing Lessons and Saint Maybe. Duncan Peck is a restless man, constantly moving his family. His wife Justine is a fortune teller. Her grandfather is on a quest for the brother he lost in 1912. Soon, all three of them will journey back to the family's deepest roots. Previous publisher: Avon paperback. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
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3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Mistress of Quirk, Aug 31 2003

By	Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Searching for Caleb (Paperback)

Anne Tyler succeeds in the difficult art of making essentially boring, humdrum, quirky, flawed, annoying, bizarre, weirdo social misfits the fascinating and eminently readable subjects of her books. The Pecks are no exception, who set about searching for the missing Caleb. What a rare and unusual talent this lady from Baltimore has. In reading a bio of her, I discovered she was a 19yo senior at Duke University when I was a clueless 17yo freshman there. Damn! If I'd only known...

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4.0 out of 5 stars Better than most, April 4 2002

By	BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Searching for Caleb (Paperback)

This was not my absolute favorite Tyler book, but it is still better than most of what is out there! I was so glad to find one of her books that I had not read. I also enjoyed reading this early Tyler book to be able to see her growth as a writer in the last 25 or more years.

The characters in "Searching for Caleb" are typical Tyler: quirky, odd, flawed, and appealingly annoying. Most of them are what someone would describe as a "character", someone unusual.

Justine, Duncan, and Daniel Peck are so finely and realistically drawn by this talented author that one wonders where they have gone when the book is finished. Tyler makes them so real...I found myself wanting to kick Justine and Duncan in the seat and telling them to get their acts together and end their fly-by-night life for the sake of their daughter.

I think it is the mark of a great author when s/he gets a reader to feel this involved in a book, even if the feelings are ones of frustration, or even of anger, at the characters' actions.

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5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Anne Tyler book, and that's saying something!, Aug 3 2001

By	Rusty Kransky "Rusty Kransky" (Greenport, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Searching for Caleb (Paperback)

Anne Tyler is my favorite living author and one of less than a handful who produce books that I must rush out and buy immediately. In hardback, at full price - and I HATE paying full price! Novels like this are what made me fall in love with Anne Tyler. I do not understand other comments from readers. Apparently they want fictional characters to be inspirationally motivating role models that will save the world and enlighten us all. Well, sorry, but people are not like that in real life, either. They are exotic and boring and delightful and monstrously annoying, all at the same time, As are the Pecks. The story works brilliantly. While we are wondering if Caleb Peck will be found, we're learning about "black sheep" Justine and Duncan, how they met and married. Justine's story about the cousin who was such a bad influence on her, and what happened to him, is amusing, with a terrific ending line. I found all the Pecks delightful. I found neither Justine nor Duncan "weak" or "unpleasant," but flawed, and delightfully so. Perhaps other readers were made nervous by Justine's rootlessness; I don't know. I DO know that I have enjoyed all Tyler's books, and yet I constantly return to the Pecks - I love them! Anne Tyler has a great gift - that cannot be denied. Good writing like this is so hard to find, and needs to be treasured. I highly recommend this book - it's a gem!

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Weak women -- an Anne Tyler speciality
This is only the second Anne Tyler book I've read and I'm not impressed. The book was depressing. I had hope as the book progressed that the main character would... Read more

Published on May 31 2001 by L. Somsel

4.0 out of 5 stars ANNE TYLER DELIVERS
I am an avid fan of Anne Tyler, marking her on my top ten list of female authors. Why? Because she has the amazing ability to take, quirky, eccentric, unusual characters, throw... Read more

Published on May 14 2001 by Gayla Collins

4.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Addition
Once again Anne Tyler outdoes herself with another intriguing novel, Searching For Caleb. The mix of irresistible details along with Tyler's ability to reach the irrational root... Read more

Published on Feb 26 2001 by E.C.

5.0 out of 5 stars The search will get you hooked
I really enjoyed this novel. The characters are so well developed.

Published on Sep 1 2000 by willowmare