William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew Retold

Read all of Anne Tyler's novels. Enjoyed each and every one. However this story seemed a little off to me. As though she was straining to fit the characters in to a plot they may not have belonged. I still can't get enough of her books and do hope there are more to come

Vinegar Girl is an easy read about complex characters. Although they are different from the world around them, they learn to appreciate and respect each other. In doing so, they win love and the respect of others.

Kate Battista, at age 29, is definitely in a rut. How did she end up keeping house for her mad scientist of a father, Louis, and watching over her 15-year-old spoiled brat of a sister, Bunny? Her professional life is not much better, as she finds herself teaching preschoolers, and constantly offending their parents because of how she speaks straight from the hip.

She loves her gardening, however, and there is a certain amount of control in handling the household, since her father is inept. Except he does have strange rules of order for how food is served and which items belong on a grocery list.

His lab assistant, Pyotr, has a special problem, however, and just when Kate is wondering why her father is suddenly thrusting this young man in her face, mentioning how wonderful he is, over and over, she realizes finally what it’s all about. This thing he wants her to do for him. His assistant is vital to his research, and he is about to be deported. Could Kate do this tiny little favor for them? Marry him?

Vinegar Girl: A Novel (Hogarth Shakespeare) was aptly titled, with our Kate being one who doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She says what she thinks, never mind what anyone else expects from her. Like many eldest daughters in Anne Tyler’s novels, Kate is the one her father expects to do his bidding. To set aside her needs for his own selfish pursuits, which to him seem necessary. He believes he should come first in her eyes.

I could feel my emotions rising as the tale continued, as Kate tried to make a decision. In some ways, her actions were surprising, but then again, she was a practical character, so perhaps things happened exactly the way they should.

In the end, some obstacles almost derailed everything, and we see an angry side to the previously calm and polite Pyotr. I was almost afraid of where it would go next. But then, the sweet ending felt strangely right. As a supposed retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, Tyler’s unique spin on the characters and the story felt spot on. A five star read!

It had some funny moments but the ending resolved itself a little too quickly and neatly. I know the story is a retelling of Taming of the Shrew, but the main characters in the book didn't quite live up to the characters in the play.

Really enjoyable and believable story line revealing Kate's attitude to life. She appeared to be ascerbic and unfriendly but why wouldn't she be with an eccentric father and a rebellious teenage sister to contend with.