Book Blurb:
Artie Dam is living a double life. He spends his days teaching history to eleventh graders, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbors, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad—at himself and the people around him—and turns a question over and over in his mind: How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?
And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear—and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.
My Review: 4 stars
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout was a welcome surprise for me. I’ve never been a fan of the Olive Kitteridge series, and yes, I know I’m the outlier on that topic; however, this one drew me in from the start.
This story was rich in character, nuance and place. I was able to see the school, the students there, his wife and son. I felt like these characters were old friends that I was keeping an eye on. There were surprising twists that gutted me and some that delighted me.
Some of her scenes took my breath away. The time Artie went to buy his own shirt without his wife was one of them. He couldn’t get out of his own way when it came to clarity. He was so beloved but was holding on to a lot of mental anguish as the years went on.
Artie was stricken by deep loneliness and sadness. He lived quietly and honestly and was so damn good even though he was betrayed by many. His melancholy tore me apart, yet there was also a sense of hope which thankfully the ending provided.
Quotes I liked:
So blind we humans are—so blind. To each other and to ourselves, moving through life as though through shadows, putting out a hand in the dark and thinking we have touched someone.”
“It was a private thing to be alive.”
“No one is superior to anyone else in this world.”
