slow to start but well worth while persisting..

Great story once you understood the plot. Brilliant insight be into mother/daughter relationship with all it's faults n failings.
Beautifully narrated.

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Wonderful story telling.

My favourite of her books by far . So many well written female characters . The men don’t come out of this well. Lots of tension and some humour . Totally engrossing.

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Brilliant novel.

Loved it so so much. Elizabeth Strout is such an amazing writer. Great understanding of people and so eloquently written

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Love & relationships in a small town.Stunning read

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I am a recent convert to Elizabeth Strout and I have been enthusing with friends about two of her other novels in the past few months. Amy & Isabelle is another tour de force of spare, thoughtful, compassionate writing, full of wisdom, humour and insight into the lives of ordinary,everyday folk/families. The story arcs, on the surface, seem in the first few chapters to be simple and straightforward. But the quality of the prose, the imagery and the witty, true-to-life dialogue draws you in and grabs you by the throat and heart and you realise that the plot is far more complex than it first appears. I totally believed in the (mostly) female characters of this story but the male characters were well-drawn too, particularly the creepy, sexual predator Mr. Robertson.
The main protagonists are the teenage Amy, who is on the threshold of womanhood, and Isabelle her single, uptight mother. When Amy becomes embroiled (and subsequently exposed) in an inappropriate relationship with a teacher she and her mother become estranged. Their relationship seems irretrievable but when subsequent events force Isabelle to confess her own 'shameful' secrets, the pair are able to try to reconcile their differences and move on.
Alongside all of this are the intertwined lives of Isabelle's workmates and her boss Avery whom she secretly yearns for. This group of females contains some beautifully constructed characters (particularly the comic, caring, mother hen Fat Bev) and the plot deftly weaves their lives, relationships, faults, crises and disappointments together to a point where Strout demonstrates the absolute importance of friendship and selfless love.
It is a classic tale of small-town life where ordinary people can be living extraordinary lives right under the noses of those who think they know them best! If you like the kind of books written by Anne Tyler and Carol Shields, try this excellent novel.

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4 people found this helpful

Elizabeth Strout at her best

The detailed attention Strout pays to a short but eventful period in a mother & daughter’s and the people who surround them in the small town they live in mid-century America is exceptional - her pin point accuracy of emotions and actions is astonishing. Highly recommended!

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Small but perfectly formed

Nothing about the cast of characters or the plot is likely to surprise. But the characters and place are exquisitely drawn.

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Fabulous read!

A gripping insightful story of people’s lives and relationships! Yes, we all get it wrong some of the time. But let’s learn and forgive.

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excellent

mothers and daughters,read it! strout is a wordsmith and a magician of imagery, human emotion and observation. I loved it.

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Excellent Narration

Another good Elizabeth Strout novel about the lives & feelings of ordinary people in small town New England.

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Compelling story about relationships

This is one of the best books I’ve read/listened to for a very long time. Elizabeth Strout has an innate understanding of human nature and how people tick. It is basically about relationships and how our perception about the way people think about us affects our ability to get on with them.
The two main relationships are between the daughter and mother, Amy and Isabelle. Their mutual lack of understanding about each other’s needs is tragic and destructive. It is only when Isabelle faces the truth about herself that she is able to appreciate her daughter’s feelings and recognise her own deep love for her.
The first class narrator breathes life into each intricately drawn character (and there are many varied personalities in the book) and makes every one utterly convincing and real.

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5 people found this helpful