Two great novels:

Olive Kitteridge won a Pulitzer prize. From the cover: "At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn't always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive's own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a course. 

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life - sometimes painfully, but always with rusthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition - its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.

Olive, Again:  "Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is 'a compelling life force.' ...Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but those around her in the town of Crosby Maine. Whether interacting with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire moments of transcendent grace."

both by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge:

2008

306 pages

paperback

5" x 8"

used, like new condition

Olive, Again:

2019

paperback

301 pages

5" x 8"

like new condition