(1965), American author Anne Tyler’s second novel, is set in rural Larksville, North Carolina—not the Baltimore, Maryland suburb of Roland Park which would serve as the backdrop for her later, more iconic works such as 1982’s

and

from 1988. While Tyler’s signature setting was not yet cemented in 1965,

nonetheless provides readers with an early representation of the thematic and plot elements that would become her stock-in-trade: family response to estrangement and death; feelings of isolation even while in close proximity to others; the tug of war faced by young adults torn between parental home and independence; and a dénouement of reconciliation rife with more questions than answers.

Most

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Citation: Donohue, Cecilia. "The Tin Can Tree". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 July 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7940, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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