Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout

READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE

Elizabeth Strout returns the reader to the town of Crosby, Maine, and finally brings together characters from her past fictional successes: Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge and Bob Burgess. There is a shocking crime committed, relationships examined and many stories told as the characters wonder: “What does anyone’s life mean?”

These are broken people. Big difference between being a broken person and being evil. In case you don’t know. And if you don’t think everyone is broken in some way, you’re wrong. I’m telling you this because you have been so fortunate in your life, you probably don’t even know such broken people exist.

RACHEL
●  I think I set myself up for failure with this book. As a fan of Elizabeth Strout I’ve come to expect a lot from her books, and in a novel that brings together Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge I was expecting the flash and bang of fireworks. When, actually, what I value from Strout is her quietly powerful explorations of people and relationships, and this book certainly provides her usual sharp observations and insight. Why was I expecting fireworks? I’m not sure.

I think it was the patchwork of anecdotes and nostalgic returns that made me feel like there was no central plot. I kept thinking, ah, here’s the main thread, only for another tale to turn into a bit of a fizzer. Even the murder mystery element never quite delivers. But I guess that patchwork of stories fits the title: Tell Me Everything. The characters sure do tell us everything, to the point of oversharing. Maybe I need to re-read because it’s the only Strout book I haven’t whole-heartedly loved.

Published 2024
Random House
326 pages