This was a good story walk book pick. I liked it. -Diana

I listened to this audiobook on Spotify after seeing universal praise for this debut epistolary novel. I thought this story of aging Sybil Van Antwerp was engaging and diverse, covering all aspects of her life and varied interactions with others. The narration was great. I can see the appeal of the tender, painful tale.

For readers who have met New York author (and eventual resident of Maine) Lucy Barton in Strout’s other books, this is an interesting deep dive into her life. It focuses on a period in. Barton’s life where her children were young and she is in the hospital for nine weeks with a severe infection following routine surgery. Not sure if I would have enjoyed this story if I hadn’t read about Barton in Strout’s other books.

Outstanding view of Welsh coal mining village with wonderful prose. So touching and full of feeling. I have his next book on hold.

I listened to this audiobook on Libby because it was picked for the Portland State alumni book club. I enjoyed the various perspectives and unreliable narrators in this tale of a Halloween murder. The plot skips around in time and feels like a tangled web of infidelity, betrayal, and financially motivated deceit. While rather elaborate in plotting and timeline, I did enjoy this twists and felt it was well paced.

I like everything, I can't choose.

Taking lessons from American & European history, we find all the obvious lessons & clues to point us to how today in 2025 we have democracy being challenged and a tyrant taking control.

The adventure in the book was really entertaining

It’s a great book about mental health struggles and overcoming them

I read this book because it was a July Indie Next pick and GMA’s book club pick. I listened to the audiobook via Libby and was surprised by the English-accented narration by actress Lucy Boynton (though in retrospect I shouldn’t because of the author’s Irish origin). This book definitely felt like Survivor with more coupling and more cutthroat consequences. I couldn’t look away from the competition of it all and my interest was maintained up until the couple switching. The book had a bit of a lull but finished with what seemed to be an explosion of the seven deadly sins. This was an interesting book that would be good to discuss but also one I’m unlikely to reread.