Sign up for our newsletters to receive our Most Anticipated Books of 2025!

What readers think of Back When We Were Grownups, plus links to write your own review.

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler

Back When We Were Grownups

by Anne Tyler
  • Critics' Consensus (3):
  • Readers' Rating (8):
  • First Published:
  • May 1, 2001, 256 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Apr 2002, 304 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews

Page 1 of 1
There are currently 8 reader reviews for Back When We Were Grownups
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Once upon a time

This is a wonderful book!!! Like many of Anne Tylers books it is not a piece of literature that requires a happy ending. Instead it is very real and very true to what would be considered "the real world". Truelly beautiful writing. I found this book to be sweet, funny and yes sad. Critics may say that not enough was explained, that facts were left out, but I believe it fits quite nicely. Allowing the reader to imagine up just enough on their own. botton line of the book: We don't always end up where we think we will, Happiness is not always black and white. I have read many books. The first line of this work is my favorite line of all time, truelly.....Once upon a time, there was a women who discovered she had turned into the wrong person.
Catherine

I loved this book. One of Anne Tyler's best. The reader is immediately swept into Rebecca's life in much the same way as Rebecca herself is suddenly encompassed by the Davitch family. I like a novel where you are involved. I felt connected to the characters, especially Beck, and also the fact that the questions posed are universal ones and easily relate to your own life. It doesn't have a neat ending and you are left wondering what the next phase of Rebecca's life will be. I also enjoyed the way the house itself was somewhat a reflection of Rebecca; warm, welcoming, slightly dishevelled and in need of constant vigilance to keep it in good repair.
If you enjoyed Anne Tyler's other novels you will certainly enjoy this one. If you are looking for plot and action then this is not the book for you.
Jenna

Interesting
I enjoyed the book. I read it for a school project, and I am happy that I chose this book. Tyler made the story come to life. I felt that I was right there standing next to her throughout the whole book. I coudn't wait to find out what would happen next. It was a bit confusing with all of the unusual names, especially because Tyler threw out so many different and unusual names just in the first few pages of the novel. Other than that, I though that it was a great novel!


The first chapter I thought I would never remember who everyone was, there were too many characters all thrown in at once - but after that I like the book but did hope for a happy ending.
Kat

I just recently became aware of Anne Tyler as an author because of a year long study thesis on her. I've been rigorously reading her books and I must say that this book is my favorite. It truly depicts the talents of Tyler and the depths of the characters she creates. I would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Karmina

I personally thought that this book was terrific. It taught me the true value of families, freinds, and everyone around me. It had a great meaning to it and i hope some of you guys get to read it soon. you'll enjoy it!
lo

I thought this book was really intresting. aftre the first teo chapter i was really into the book. I definetly reccomend it!!!!
yota

i got the impression that not even once did the book dive in depth in the heroine's phychosynthesis; it rather brought into light the frustration of a middle-aged woman about to reconsider her life without giving the reader the chance either to sympathise with her over her decisions as a youth or empathise with her final resolution not to choose her old love. the book consumed quite a lot of pages describing in detail the gatherings of the family or the parties while the reader could very well do with a little more preoccupation with the central figure's anxieties and their source, her aspirations and hopes.
  • Page
  • 1

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    The Wager
    by David Grann
    From the bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a gripping story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth.
  • Book Jacket
    The Bluest Eye
    by Toni Morrison
    The story of a black girl in America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others. First published 1970; won the 1993 Nobel Prize.
  • Book Jacket
    The Frozen River
    by Ariel Lawhon
    From the bestselling author of I Was Anastasia comes a historical mystery inspired by 18th-century midwife Martha Ballard, who investigates a shocking murder.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Harlem Rhapsody
    by Victoria Christopher Murray

    The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance.

  • Book Jacket

    Three Days in June
    by Anne Tyler

    A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

  • Book Jacket

    Beast of the North Woods
    by Annelise Ryan

    When a local fisherman is mauled to death, it seems like the only possible cause is a mythical creature.

Who Said...

A library is a temple unabridged with priceless treasure...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

D to T N

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.