Ladder of Years, by Anne Tyler
Published in 1996, paperback, hardback, and
audiotape.
Anne Tyler has always been one of my favorite
authors. I'm highly tempted to say that she is my very favorite.
She always seems to write what I need to read at the right time.
This book, Ladder of Years, came along just
as I was feeling the effects of my Hodgkin's. I was unemployed,
I was itching like mad, and I was wanting to make changed in my
life. I wanted to rid myself of the clutter around me. That's
precisely what Delia wishes to do in this novel. She is trying
to reduce the clutter. She is trying to find simplicity again.
She is weary of the things in the world. As time goes on, however,
she learns to appreciate her clutter and her life. Just as HD
taught me how precious every aspect of life is, Delia learns the
same lesson in her journey.