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Jan 04, 2018llwboston rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is my favorite of the four Elizabeth Strout novels that I've read (incl. Olive Kittredge, My Name is Lucy Barton, The Burgess Boys). Beautiful portraits of men and women trying to reshape their own futures, which may seem predetermined by the lasting effects of childhood poverty, family disruption and shame. A quite audacious beginning for a 21st century work features a man coming to terms with his faith in God. The stories that follow are at times inspiring, at times horrifying, at times both. All contain revelations about how people and their relationships change. One very witty thread that runs through the novel is the responses to the publication of Lucy Barton's new book. Perhaps inspired by Elizabeth Strout's own experience? Many of the characters are connected to the long absent Lucy Barton, and these stories show how someone can remain present in the interior lives of the people they encounter even after losing contact.