The Right Book at the Right Time

I have read many of Anne Tyler's books. There was only one I didn't care for, and I plan to reread it. I truly believe it just the right book at that time.
This book was the right book at the right time...I just finished "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" which was dense and verbose and also gave me nightmares.
I picked up this book for a "palate cleanse". As I read it, I saw that the light, nonformal prose held deep messages that I couldn't stop thinking about and stayed with me....
Some questions that relate to this book...how long must we try to atone for past misdeeds? What is meaningful work? Who should we look to for inspiration? Are possessions more important than relationships?
Barnaby, a privileged wild -child, tries to atone for past misdeeds, seeking his "angel" who will inspire and direct him. ( )

I loved it! Quirky characters abound in this book and I grew very attached to the main character, Barnaby Giltlin. He didn't fit into his rich family and didn't want a nine-to-five job or any job that was boring by his standards. When he was young, he broke into homes and took what took his fancy, sometimes valuable, sometimes not. One of his brotI hers went with him and never ever got caught, unlike Barnaby. He went down a life of ruin, even setting his family home on fire. His mother had very high standards, his father was usually more forgiving.

With all his getting into trouble, I thought I wouldn't like him but he surprised me. He had a marriage that didn't last and a little girl he didn't understand. Then he meets Sophia who profoundly changes his life.

He worked for Rent A Back, a service to help primarily older people. The older customers and his main co-worker, Martine who sparkle in this quirky story. ( )

Good read for an afternoon. I like how she addresses the challenges of aging that humans encounter. ( )

Something about this story just clicked with me. I must admit the ending to me seemed to just wander off, but not in a bad way. ( )

OK novel. Quirky family dynamics. Read part of it years ago. ( )