Even though, I usually don't care for short stories, this book of "not quite short stories" is so well written and tightly connected on to the other, I'm not sure that it WAS a collection of stories. The main character, Olive, is not one that you want to get to know. As the stories continue, and Olive is woven through them all, either in character or thought, you begin to see many traits of yourself or others in your family or your friends. Elizabeth Strout's writing skills make this a poignant tale of life, and human characters.