Olive Kitteridge

Summary (from the publisher): At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life–sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.

Review: Olive Kitteridge is ornery and frequently foul tempered, but she can also be patient and intuitive at times. A retired schoolteacher in Crosby, Maine, she lives with her husband Henry and is fiercely possessive of her grown son Christopher. Olive is seen through her own perspective but also through fleeting and outside sightings of her through the lens of others who live in her small town. This is a collection of linked short stories that hone in on the problems and secrets the townspeople face in their lives. Although Olive is the most frequently seen figure, the stories each focus on different town members and the book is more accurately about the human condition overall and the imperfect lives we all lead, full of both small and large tragedies and triumphs. 

As with all collections of short stories, I enjoyed some of them more than others. Many of them left me wanting to learn more about the characters involved. Almost all have a melancholy air about them; life for the townspeople in Crosby, Maine seems to be full of quiet heartbreaks. Strout does an excellent job of providing insight into the human condition and exposing not only the great tragedies that make our lives difficult but also small indignities that no one sees: the unspoken sadness of a waitress, the quiet love for a coworker that goes unfulfilled, the confusion over an adult child's rejection. One of the most powerful strengths about the shifting perspectives in each of the linked stories is inside looks at the secret inner lives of characters only glimpsed in passing in earlier stories. This allows the reader to build empathy and understanding for all of the characters covered in this book. 

Stars: 4

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• My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout