Anne Tyler’s 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning Breathing Lessons charts one day in the life of middle-aged couple, Ira and Maggie Moran. The Morans have been married nearly 30 years and raised two children. On this Saturday, they are driving from their home in Baltimore to a friend’s funeral in Pennsylvania. Along the way, squabbles and incidents that any long-married couple could relate to plague their day, from minor traffic incidents to tiffs. Through smartly written dialogue and flashbacks, their married life is revealed, with both revealing their insecurities and memories—many good, some not-so-good. Maggie, always well-meaning, has a tendency to meddle in others’ affairs; she spends the day concerned with reconciling her son and daughter-in-law. Ira, strong and sturdy, wonders why she worries so about matters over which she has no control.

Another one of Tyler’s critically acclaimed novels, Breathing Lessons has excellent characterization. You’ll never feel as though any character is flat—in fact, characters drive the story here, since the plot progresses only after extensive flashbacks. It took me a while to get used to this novel’s flow. I appreciate the intimate manner through which Tyler portrayed the Morans’ loving marriage—one so ordinary but never dull.