Olive Again - Elizabeth Strout

 

Description

Olive, Again follows the blunt, contradictory yet deeply loveable Olive Kitteridge as she grows older, navigating the second half of her life as she comes to terms with the changes - sometimes welcome, sometimes not - in her own existence and in those around her. 

Olive adjusts to her new life with her second husband, challenges her estranged son and his family to accept him, experiences loss and loneliness, witnesses the triumphs and heartbreaks of her friends and neighbours in the small coastal town of Crosby, Maine - and, finally, opens herself to new lessons about life. 

Review

I didn't realise this was a follow on book, but it was a stand alone read for me. I listened to it on audio, I'm not sure I would have stuck with it as a book.

I thought the book would be told throughout by Olive, so when it began with Jack who becomes her second husband, I thought I had the wrong idea about the book. Eventually we got to Olive and then other characters that hadn't even been introduced started to share their stories, I got confused. I went with it and up would pop Olive at some point in their story, she was their old teacher or some such thing.

The story covers Olive's later life beginning when she is about to marry her second husband. It's really the tale of everyday life of different people in the book, what they are thinking about things and how others might perceive them and their ideas. Many subjects are covered in the book and some choice language occurs - so not for you if you are easily offended.

It was a little sad at the end when Olive is an old lady and loses some of her independence. Especially as she wasn't someone to suffer fools gladly and was very independent. I liked her straight talking in the main, although at times it got a little maudlin. 

My thanks to my local library and Borrowbox for the loan of this title.