4 1/2 stars

Kind of a simple book. Almost boring in a way because nothing much happens that is out of the ordinary really. But Elizabeth Strout has a way with making believable, real characters that might as well live in your own home town. She makes you care in the space of a few pages and you feel you understand what each character holds in his or her own heart. The characters are interconnected and you leave one behind and pick up another without too much difficulty. It's sort of like life... we all play a role, big or small, in each others' worlds. Elizabeth Strout has a genius at creating her characters.