Olive Kitteridge is a harsh, opinionated, stubborn woman... alive only through the 13 short stories being told by those around her. She is a retired schoolteacher, a mother, an unaffectionate wife, and a friend to almost no one. While Olive's involvement may only be minor in some of the stories, each still serves a purpose in allowing the reader to know and understand Olive and the small town of Crosby, Maine. Olive Kitteridge is about the intricacies of life; how everyone is connected in ways that seem unexpected, but believable. It's also about growing up, getting old, and the joys and heartaches that come with both. The book looks at the consequences of opening your mind too late and how fateful and tragic that can be. This book also shows that there really are two sides to every story and the necessity of seeing things from all sides. While some parts of the story are overly dramatic, everyone can relate to some or many of the story's characters. All families - and towns for that matter - have skeletons hidden away, only to be revealed by those who are willing to share. This book is about how the picture perfect can be anything but and to stick to your guns, as Olive does. It encourages acceptance of one’s own skeletons and the idea that imperfection really can be beautiful.
Book Information
Year of publication: 2008
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 270
Awards: 2009 Pulitzer Prize - Fiction
Purchased at: Bryan Prince Bookseller
Reading Time: n/a
Rating: 4/5
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