Olive, Again

I was not prepared for this book to be less of a sequel to the first (though it does pick up immediately after the end of the first book) than to be an exploration of a "Cros-mere" of stories in and around Crosby, ME, including characters from other books by the author, and Olive making on-brand appearances in each other person's story like Nick Fury. But there were enough chapters about her to be a nice farewell for the character.

I love Elizabeth Strout's writing. Her characters feel every bit as real to me as my parents' friends. And Olive – oh Godfrey, that cantankerous old bird makes me chuckle!

In addition, Strout employs one of my favorite literary techniques: subtly interlocking/overlapping short stories. Each chapter can be a stand-alone story, but I find it fun to watch for ancillary characters to surface... it's like watching a master weaver at work. She does this so well not only from chapter to chapter, but also from book to book. Technically there are two books to the Olive Kitteridge saga, but I think I found tie-ins to characters in her other books – The Burgess Boys, Lucy Barton, and Amy & Isabelle. To me, that evokes the same kind of fun I had as a kid, looking for Lowly Worm in each of Richard Scarry's illustrations.

This was an excellent book. And truthfully, nothing much happens! There is no real plot. But the author Elizabeth Strout is so wise. She gets exactly what it means to be human. How we fail. How we fall and get up again. How we are all entangled together. How we can love and hate at the same time. How we want to be alone but are so lonely. Olive Kitterage is a great character. I loved this book.

Five stars, again.