It’s wonderful to pick up a book of fiction that so immediately and skillfully plunges you into the small, everyday events that make us all human. Just like her first book (Olive Kitteridge), Elizabeth Strout takes us into the orbit of Maine-born-and-raised Olive — now older, retired, and just as prickly and wise. Awarded four stars on Goodreads.
Like the first book, this sequel reads like a series of short stories about individuals in and around the small town of Crosby, Maine. Some are Olive’s former students. Others, her neighbors. But each has a deeply touching story to tell about the everyday pain people routinely carry, their own resilience, and the kind of love and relationships that brings meaning to our lives.
Whether it’s a young woman visiting the burned down ruins of her family home, or a Civil War enthusiast who uses the dog to speak to his wife, or the residents of an assisted living facility struggling to find community — each has a valuable and emotional story to tell. All of them, connected in some way to crusty but lovable Olive.
Highly recommended.
More about the author, Elizabeth Strout.
You may be interested in my reviews of other books by Strout:
My Name is Lucy Barton (Book #1 in the Amgash series)
Anything is Possible (Book #2 in the Amgash series)
Oh, William! (Book #3 in the Amgash series)
Toby A. Smith 