Olive, Again

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Strout

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout continues the life of her beloved Olive Kitteridge, a character who has captured the imaginations of millions.

“Strout managed to make me love this strange woman I’d never met, who I knew nothing about. What a terrific writer she is.”—Zadie Smith, The Guardian

“Just as wonderful as the original . . . Olive, Again poignantly reminds us that empathy, a requirement for love, helps make life ‘not unhappy.’”—NPR

ONE OF PEOPLE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is “a compelling life force” (San Francisco Chronicle). The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire us—in Strout’s words—“to bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.”

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, Vogue, NPR, The Washington Post,Chicago Tribune, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Esquire, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, The New York Public Library, The Guardian, Evening Standard, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, BookPage

Depressing

This story had some funny parts mainly because Olive is so unaware of herself. Overall, it was depressing. Olive’s life was dull and she had no significant human connections other than with those that had no choice but to interact with her. I would rather read something more uplifting. This was not for me. The writing and character development was good. The Audible performance was excellent.

Welcome Back, Olive

So glad that testy, persnickety, unsympathetic Olive is back, with all her upcountry honesty intact. And this time she's more introspective and even got a boy friend! Totally enjoying this new group of related stories, and appreciating a narrator who performs the tales well.

A Poignant Return to Olive's World

"A Poignant Return to Olive's World: 'Olive, Again' Earns Four Stars for Its Nuanced Characters"

"Olive, Again" is a masterful continuation of Elizabeth Strout's exploration of the complex life of Olive Kitteridge. The book presents a series of interconnected stories that delve into the depths of human relationships with sensitivity and nuance. Strout's writing is exquisite, capturing the intricacies of Olive's character and the people in her world. The characters are authentically flawed, making them relatable and memorable. While some stories were more compelling than others, the overall narrative is a moving portrayal of the passage of time and the enduring power of human connection. "Olive, Again" is a must-read for fans of character-driven fiction and those seeking a deeply emotional and introspective journey.

I recommend!

Interesting stories, very well performed. Author managed to keep the quality on the same level as part 1.

Not as good as the first, too sad

I wish the characters had all come together in the end because I felt like there were a lot of loose ends that left me unsatisfied unlike in the first novel in the series