A Patchwork Planet

A Patchwork Planet (1998) by Anne Tyler. Barnaby, a reformed delinquent, has reached the age of 30 and works for a company called Rent-a-Back, doing odd jobs for the elderly. He lives in Baltimore but must frequently travel to Philadelphia to visit his daughter, Opal, who lives with her mother and stepfather. One day, traveling by train because his car is in the shop, he meets Sophia, a plump, never-married 36-year-old. Gradually, he falls in love with Sophia. But complications ensue when Sophia's aunt accuses Barnaby of stealing money from her flour bin, where she has kept it hidden. Somehow Barnaby ends up having a one-night stand with Martine, a fellow Rent-a-Back worker. Somehow it seems he gradually falls out of love with Sophia. I think I missed something here because his motives weren't always clear to me. Still, a good read. Grade: B