by Susan W.: Elizabeth Strout has packed so much life and wisdom into this spare novel, it will take me more than one reading to digest all it contains. Her characters are so human, so flawed, so seeking. “When does a person actually ‘choose’ anything?” William asks Lucy. A succinct summary of the book, which is filled with deep examinations of what life contains for some people. William’s adultery has a devastating effect on Lucy and her description of what she felt is faultless:
A tulip stem snapped inside me. This is what I felt. It has stayed snapped, it never grew back.
Amazing book, amazing writer. I have a few more of hers lined up to be read.
