Review: Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

Published June 21st 2016
by Hogarth

Kate Battista has been feeling a little stuck. Stuck in her job at which she seems to be frequently in trouble. Stuck in taking care of her widowed father and her somewhat obnoxious teenage sister. Now Kate is in a bit of a pickle. Her beloved, socially inept father wants her to marry his research assistant so that he can remain in the country. He feels that he is on the verge of a breakthrough and losing Pyotr will set him back.

This is a reworking of The Taming of the Shrew. Instead of multiple suitors, Kate has just the one, Pyotr. And it becomes a question of will Kate be able to resist the clumsy plan of Pyotr and her father to woo her into acceptance and get her to marry Pyotr. Kate isn't as biting as the character in The Taming of the Shrew. Instead she has her own social awkwardness. She seems to feel like she doesn't quite belong at work. And at home, she feels taken advantage of by her sister and father.

Will she marry Pyotr? Will she fall in love with him or would it be in name only?

It's a nice little tale at 240 pages and a good summer read. There is humor in the way that the characters handle things. I found it to be a quick read, the pace gradually increasing until the end. There is a short epilogue at the end, sort of a this is how things worked out in the long run.

I give it 4 stars out of 5 because it's well written. It feels a little awkward at times. There are some surprises as to how the characters acted. Three of the main characters are portrayed as lacking socially, and yet it works. I could almost picture this taking place in mid twentieth century rather than in the 21st. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy retellings of classic literature and enjoy the modern twists that they often involve.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Teaser Tuesday: Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Expected publication:
June 21st 2016 by Hogarth

She tried to remember how Mrs. Darling had worded her threat from the day before. She hadn't said anything about "Just one more offense and you're out, " had she? No, it had been less specific than that. It had been something like the vague "or else" that grown-ups were always threatening children with, that children eventually realized was not as dire as it sounded.

The phrase "thin ice" had been involved she seemed to recollect.

~ 19% through on my Kindle

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever-growing TBR list. Thanks for coming by!

Waiting on Wednesday #120: Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week the book I am waiting on is Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler. It's due out June 21, 2016 from Random House. 

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: 

‘You can’t get around Kate Battista as easily as all that’

Kate Battista is feeling stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but the adults don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner.

Dr Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr…

When Dr Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to win her round?

Anne Tyler’s retelling of The Taming of the Shrew asks whether a thoroughly modern, independent woman like Kate would ever sacrifice herself for a man. Its answer is as individual, off-beat and funny as Kate herself. 

Why am I waiting on this book? It's a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. And it's Anne Tyler. The 2 combined make it sound like it will be an awesome book.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.