Clock Dance is the 22nd novel from the much loved American author Anne Tyler.

Willa Drake at the age of 61 has led a seemingly dull life with only a handful of defining moments until her son’s ex-girlfriend is shot.

In a totally out of character decision she crosses the United States from Arizona to Baltimore to take care of this woman, her daughter and a dog called Airplane.

Accompanied by her excruciatingly patronising husband, Peter, who refers to Willa as ‘little one’, she is out of her comfort zone but surprises herself with her capabilities and her increasing pleasure in being part of this odd ball community.

As Peter retreats more and more to the guest room, Willa becomes immersed in the lives of the residents of Dorcas Road. From being the Willa who ‘felt she’d spent half her life apologising for some man’s behaviour’ she becomes someone with ‘no limit to the possibilities’.

This may not be Anne Tyler’s finest novel but it deserves careful reading and savouring of the characters in the book. Each is described with Tyler’s characteristic tenderness and dry humour.