Readers will delight in the discovery of this new fictional world ... There is so much here to explore, so many endless human mysteries. Let’s hope that this fine author continues steadily along her path, delivering unto her loyal readers story upon story, gift upon gift.
Revered for her deeply empathetic and perceptive approach, Strout creates existentially complex interior worlds for seemingly simple characters ... Tantalizingly perceptive and compassionate glimpses into the backstories of the key contributors to Artie’s crisis of the soul will give readers hope that these indelible individuals will one day appear in a trademark Strout spin-off of their own.
Diverting ... Strout’s storytelling is thinning a bit, like middle-aged hair ... Vivid characters are set adrift in a 'ripped from the headlines' tableau that complicates the story, and the storytelling.
