My race through the original six books that make up the completely delightful TALES OF THE CITY series can only be described as a reading orgy. I think I went through them ALL in a week.
Then, some years ago I read book #7 (Michael Tolliver Lives) before losing track of Armistead Maupin. When I recently discovered he had written two more books in the series, I decided to save them for a vacation treat. And I wasn’t disappointed. Awarded four stars on Goodreads.
I went through Mary Ann in Autumn during the first day of vacation, once again enchanted by the characters of Mary Ann, Mouse, and Anna Madrigal. There was Maupin’s same easy, conversational style and humor and the same knack for capturing precisely what makes the baby boomer generation (including me) both distinctive and ridiculous.
Now well into middle age, Mary Ann is facing multiple crises — both personal and health– when she once again turns to her good friend Michael (aka Mouse) for support. There are some new characters, representing the continuum of sexual identity, all of whom wind up being strangely interconnected in the small town of San Francisco. If you’re a baby boomer, this entire series is a MUST read.
More about author, Armistead Maupin.
You may be interested in my review of the ninth and final book in the series, The Days of Anna Madrigal.
Here are all the titles in the series:
Toby A. Smith 