My Amazon and Goodreads review of Olive, Again (Rating 5) – Godfrey. Thank God Olive Kittridge is Back. In Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout returns us to the coastal town of Crosby, Maine. All I can say is, “Godfrey. Thank God Olive Kittridge is back.” In stories that feature Olive, or bring her on for a cameo, Strout introduces us to residents whose lives are filled with sadness, even tragedy, but who evince a New England determination not to complain and to carry on. Olive delights us with her own small epiphanies, often reached reluctantly but embraced when she accepts that they are inescapable. One of Strout’s most satisfying creations is Jack Kennison, Olive’s late-in-life second husband, who is her match in irascibility and likability. Best about Jack is how much he likes Olive. Olive herself is one hot, leaky mess of contradictions: tactless and kind; humorless and funny; oblivious and self-aware; judgmental and open-minded; exasperating and endearing. I was reluctant to read the last story because I didn’t want the book to end. As a writer (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page), I know that my characters never leave me. I hope that is true for writer Elizabeth Strout, because as a reader, all I can say is “Godfrey. Please don’t ever die Olive. I can’t bear the thought of a world without your bulk.”
