Vinegar Girl

Sweet. I imagine that Anne Tyler laughed a lot as she adapted Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in her new novel titled, Vinegar Girl. I certainly laughed a lot while reading it. It should come as no surprise that Tyler sets the novel in Baltimore and that her characters are complex and interesting. Protagonist Katherine Battista holds strong views, does not suffer fools gladly, and runs the household in which she, and her younger sister, Bianca, live with their father, a research scientist at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Battista is a single parent who has established ways of living that seem better suited to a laboratory setting than a nurturing home. His work depends heavily on a student, Pyotr, who may be deported. Dr. Battista decides that Pyotr and Kate should marry so Pyotr can remain in the lab in Baltimore. Tyler takes that set up and lets the plot unravel out of control, providing grist for great humor, and then pulling everything together. Does that sound like Shakespeare’s play to you? Whether your answer is yes or no, chances are you will laugh as you read this sweet novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Vinegar Girl from amazon.com.