42 of 52

I absolutely loved this book. Usually, I am not a fan of short stories, primarily because I read to be drawn into other worlds, and I like to stay in those worlds for more than a short time. I guess this book did it for me because the stories are connected by the title character, Olive Kitteridge, who appears in some stories as a central character and in other stories is merely mentioned, or appears fleetingly. The stories are about the inhabitants of the small town of Crosby, Maine. They are beautifully told, heartbreaking and true. Read it!

"What young people didn't know, she thought, lying down beside this man, his hand on her shoulder, her arm: oh, what young people did not know. They did not know that...love was not to be tossed away carelessly, as if it were a tart on a platter with others that got passed around again. No, if love was available, one chose it, or didn't choose it. And if her platter had been full with the goodness of Henry and she had found it burdensome, had flicked it off crumbs at a time, it was because she had not known what one should know: that day after day was unconsciously squandered."