Human beings are fundamentally lonely creatures, further isolated by the rigors of aging. Families are emotional minefields. Death, dementia and other natural disasters lurk everywhere. Love, though precious, is elusive, prone to slip away almost before we realize its existence. The darkness of Strout’s vision is leavened by her belief in moments of grace, which may arrive in a slant of light, a sudden insight, or (best of all) a connection to another human being.”
