Summer literary book recommendation: The Things We Never Say

I can’t wait to tell you about a novel I enjoyed so much. My online book group read it and reviewed it. The oddest thing happened: we all loved it! (We don’t usually agree.) The literary novel is called The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout.

Let’s take a moment to say that Elizabeth Strout is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. She’s a #1 New York Times bestselling author. The novel won the Booker Prize. Nuff said?

Part of what amazed me about the novel was the writer’s process. She creates characters first, plops them into a setting, and then waits to see what happens. As a writer, she’s what’s called “a gardener.” I have no idea how she does that, because my process is the opposite. I’m what’s called a “plotter.” That means that I come up with the “what happens” first and then invent characters to move the action forward. I learned so much from reading this novel.

I urge you to get your copy soon because I don’t want you to find out what happens beforehand. I’m one of those people who continually guesses what is going to happen as I read, but with this novel, I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

If you enjoy complex characters who have to face gut-wrenching life choices, this novel is for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Five stars from me.

Here’s what I wrote on Goodreads:

This 200-page book blew me away. Although Artie is the main character, the author seamlessly let’s us inside the head of other characters. The characters grow and change before your very eyes while grappling with challenging personal issues as well as our extraordinary time. It’s a topical novel that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. About half way through, I imagined how the novel would end, and boy was I wrong. Highly recommend.