Tag Archives: Frank Cottrell-Boyce

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout is a stand-alone novel separate from the Olive Kitteridge universe and has been longlisted for this year’s Booker Prize. It tells the story of Artie Dam, a middle-aged history teacher living by the coast in Massachusetts. He is well-liked by his students but also dealing with internal struggles related to his marriage to Evie and the trauma of a car accident a decade ago involving his son Rob. Artie tackles his feelings of loneliness by trying to articulate his feelings more clearly but receives mixed responses from those around him. The interactions between the characters vary from awkward to profound and the backdrop of a politically divided nation in the lead up to the 2024 US presidential election lends a rather melancholy tone. Strout has set up a lot of potential for spin-off stories about other characters featured in this novel, but we will have to wait and see if this will develop into a series. Continue reading →