Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Photo Credit: Barnesandnoble.com

Summary:

This is a collection of short stories with a uniform theme: Olive. She’s a retired schoolteacher, someone with a tendency to judge others and a quick temper. Although you come to expect her to be stern, she can also surprise you. Each story, all told from different view points, reveal something about Olive’s character until you feel like you’ve known the woman all your life.

Comments:

I’m not a big short story fan, but I really liked this book. Strout’s writing is fantastic. Her characters are well-developed and realistic. Her stories are sad and triumphant, full of conflicts and truth. About halfway through the book, I took a short break just to read something more uplifting (I’m not good with depressing stuff, typically) but I anticipated my return to Olive’s story and didn’t avoid it for long.

The Point:

It’s not a fun read, but it’s worthwhile on many other levels.