Olive, Again - Elizabeth Strout

This follow on to Olive Kitteridge, which won Strout a Pulitzer, is a lovely collection of vignettes around the aging Olive. Most are about her directly, others about people in her sphere, all with a sensitivity to what aging is all about. She marries again, is widowed again, ponders her position as a parent and friend and teacher, examines her moods, opens herself to new friends and experiences. Layers of her life's complexity are peeled away to its essence, which is often messy and painful and is sometimes full of fleeting joy. Read this book, if you have older parents and friends to better understand them; read it if you're over forty and want to better understand yourself. You'll see how much courage it takes to get out of bed each and every day, and how much more rewarding it can be with the right attitude.

​Submitted by Ned