The Amateur Marriage, by Anne Tyler

Michael and Pauline meet in 1941 at the grocery store his mother owns & they begin dating, just before Michael goes off to the war. After an injury at Special Training, Michael is sent home & he & Pauline get married. They have three children, one of which at age 17 leaves home & never returns. In 1968 they receive a phone call from a relative asking them to go to San Francisco to pick up the grandchild (named Pagan) that they didn't even know they had. Their daughter is recovering from drug problems & they don't get to see her, but they take the grandchild back home with them & raise him from that point on. Michael & Pauline just can't seem to get along, they never have in fact, and on the night of their 30th wedding anniversary, they split up. After the divorce Michael remarries, but Pauline stays on her own. 29 years after her disappearance, the daughter shows up at her brother's house looking for the rest of the family and inquiring about her son. This story covers the 1940's all the way through the 1990's, and it is interesting to see how the different family members grow and develop.

A Patchwork Planet, by Anne Tyler

This book is about a 30-year-old guy named Barnaby, divorced with a 9-year-old girl that he sees once a month on a Saturday. He works for a place called Rent-A-Back, where he goes to the homes of the elderly & disabled to help with chores & heavy lifting. He meets a woman named Sofia on the train, and they begin dating. Because of his juvenile-delinquent past, his parents don't trust him. There are many interesting characters to meet, including many of the Rent-A Back customers. When his girlfriend tries to cover for a crime he did not commit, he begins to realize that things aren't so perfect in their relationship. Despite his past, he has become a man that people can trust.