"Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout. I started this book a couple of times and finally realized I "needed" to read it so I could read all of Elizabeth Strouts books. I am glad that I did because I can now understand "her" as much as is possible. I am being a bit cryptic but still processing. I had to look again at the date it was published and her perspective on the president. Interesting.

Their son, *Christopher*, feels suffocated by Olive's strong personality and tries to escape.

*The Stories:*

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person in town, but Olive appears in every story:

1. A husband who is having an affair contemplates leaving his wife.
2. A young anorexic girl Olive tries to help.
3. A mother whose son has been involved in a school shooting.
4. Olive's son Christopher getting married and leaving Maine.
5. Henry's depression and his friendship with Denise, a young widow who works at his pharmacy.
6. And finally, Olive's old age, after Henry has a stroke, and she must face loneliness and loss.

We see Olive over about 20-25 years - from middle age to being a 70-year-old widow. We see her be cruel, then we see her be incredibly kind. We see how she affects everyone around her without even knowing it.

*Main Theme:*

The book is about ordinary life in a small town. It's about marriage, loneliness, aging, depression, motherhood, and how difficult it is to love and be loved.