A Patchwork PlanetBarnaby Gaitlin has been in trouble ever since adolescence. He had this habit of breaking into other people's houses. It wasn't the big loot he was after, like his teenage cohorts. It was just that he liked to read other people's mail, pore over their family photo albums, and appropriate a few of their precious mementos. But for eleven years now, he's been working steadily for Rent-a-Back, renting his back to old folks and shut-ins who can't 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 Barnaby's former victims. And his ex-wife would just as soon he didn't show up ever to visit their little girl, Opal. Even the nice, steady woman (his guardian angel?) who seems to have designs on him doesn't fully trust him, it develops, when the chips are down, and it looks as though his world may fall apart again. |
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Accidental Tourist Alford angel Anne Tyler anyhow asked Aunt Grace Barnaby Beeton birthday BREATHING LESSONS called car coat Cartwright CELESTIAL NAVIGATION Christmas clients coat Crock-Pot Dibble dinner door dress eighty-seven hundred eyes face father feel felt flour front Gaitlin gave girl glanced Glynn Gram guess hair hands head heard hung jacket Jeff kids kind kitchen knew laughed living look Martine Maud mind money clip MORNING EVER COMES mother Natalie never night okay once Opal Opal's parents Patchwork Planet Penn Station Philly picked Pop-Pop pork rinds Ray Oakley Rent-a-Back seat seemed SLIPPING-DOWN smile someone Sophia told sound started stood stopped sure talking tell Thanks there's thing thought took train truck turned Twinform Tyler waiting walked watch wearing What's Wicky window woman wondered