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A Novel
by Elizabeth Strout
Book Reviewed by:Winner of the 2019 BookBrowse Fiction Award
Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is "a compelling life force" (San Francisco Chronicle).
The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout "animates the ordinary with an astonishing force," and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire moments of transcendent grace.
Labor
Two days earlier, Olive Kitteridge had delivered a baby.
She had delivered the baby in the backseat of her car; her car had been parked on the front lawn of Marlene Bonney's house. Marlene was having a baby shower for her daughter, and Olive had not wanted to park behind the other cars lined up on the dirt road. She had been afraid that someone might park behind her and she wouldn't be able to get out; Olive liked to get out. So she had parked her car on the front lawn of the house, and a good thing she had, that foolish girl—her name was Ashley and she had bright blond hair, she was a friend of Marlene's daughter—had gone into labor, and Olive knew it before anyone else did; they were all sitting around the living room on folding chairs and she had seen Ashley, who sat next to her, and who was enormously pregnant, wearing a red stretch top to accentuate this pregnancy, leave the room, and Olive just knew.
She'd gotten up and found the girl in the kitchen, leaning ...
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (5/14/2026)
My reading time has been limited because my husband and I will travel next week to attend our grandson's 8th grade graduation ceremony. I did finish The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. The author continues with her perspective writing style as in the Olive Kitteridge series, but she surp...
-Lynne_G
To what audience would you recommend Won’t Be Long Now? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
I will give the book to my sister, a retired public school MLS librarian to read. She tends to be more open to books that aren't mainstream popular and I would like to get her opinion of it. I won't be recommending it to my book club as they go for the best seller women's fiction and would defini...
-Lana_Maskus
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/26/2026)
I'm currently reading Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. It was a loan from a relative so I'm feeling bound to read it. So far, it's not bad. I interrupted listening to The Jungle by Upton Sinclair to start listening to Liar's Poker, as Kim mentioned in her post. I just finished O...
-Lana_Maskus
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/19/2026)
I'm still listening to https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/19637/happy-land The Jungle by Upton Sinclair when I drive. I'm about half-way through the 17+ hours. It's so heartbreaking and full of despair, but it's such an important American novel. I definitel...
-Lana_Maskus
Who's your favorite female author of the 21st century?
For me it depends on the genre. For Historical Fiction—Stephanie Dray was fantastic in Becoming Madame Secretary and I loved the Woman of Chateau Lafayette. For Literally Fiction Emily Henry has many enjoyable books. Elizabeth Strout was rewarding in her Olive series and Tell Me Everything. I am ...
-Lynne_G
What are you reading this week? (3/12/2025)
...not paint him in a very good light. I am about a third of the way through At the Quiet Edge by Victoria Helen Stone, a mystery. Also, about to start Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout and The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin. I absolutely loved Garvin's book, Crow Talk.
-Dee_Hatcher
What are you reading this week? (02/27/2025)
I really like the way Elizabeth Strout writes. Oh, William and Tell Me Everything are in my TBR stack, but my favorite is still Olive Kitteridge.
-Dee_Hatcher
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BookBrowse Awards
2019
Older characters are still fairly rare in literature, so it's refreshing to encounter a protagonist in her 80s. Crosby feels like a microcosm of modern society, with Olive as our Everywoman guide. She hasn't lost her faculties or her spirits, but the approach of death lends added poignancy to her story. Those who are wary of sequels need not fear: Olive, Again is even better than Olive Kitteridge, and one of the most profound and worthwhile books of the year...continued
Full Review
(769 words)
(Reviewed by Rebecca Foster).
The elderly are often underrepresented in popular culture, and where these characters do exist, they are often one-dimensional. The most effective depictions of elderly people demonstrate that age does not limit one's ability to have an interesting inner life, new adventures, and/or the chance for romance. In short, they resist the notion that life is over when one retires or becomes a widow/widower.
One way to combat the stereotypical characterization of blank or confused elderly people is to give them a rich intellectual life. Penelope Lively's Booker Prize-winning Moon Tiger (1987) explores the layers of 76-year-old Claudia Hampton's personal history. To all appearances, there's not much going on in this old woman's head as she lies ...
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