{"product_id":"a-patchwork-planet-9780804119184","title":"A Patchwork Planet","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this  her fourteenth novel--and one of her most endearing--Anne Tyler tells the story of a lovable loser whos trying to get his life in order.  Barnaby Gaitlin has been in trouble ever since adolescence. He had this habit of breaking into other peoples houses. It wasnt the big loot he was after  like his teenage cohorts. It was just that he liked to read other peoples mail  pore over their family photo albums  and appropriate a few of their precious mementos.  But for eleven years now  hes been working steadily for Rent-a-Back  renting his back to old folks and shut-ins who cant move their own porch furniture or bring the Christmas tree down from the attic. At last  his life seems to be on an even keel.  Still  the Gaitlins (of \"old\" Baltimore) cannot forget the price they paid for buying off Barnabys former victims. And his ex-wife would just as soon he didnt show up ever to visit their little girl  Opal. Even the nice  steady woman (his guardian angel?) who seems to have designs on him doesnt fully trust him  it develops  when the chips are down  and it looks as though his world may fall apart again.  There is no one like Anne Tyler  with her sharp  funny  tender perceptions about how human beings navigate on a puzzling planet  and she keeps us enthralled from start to finish in this delicious new novel.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67923815792693,"sku":"ByrdShop_080411918X","price":52.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780804119184.jpg?v=1794115958","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/a-patchwork-planet-9780804119184","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}