06/09/2026
"The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout
A new book by Elizabeth Strout is always an event. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge, Strout is one of our greatest chroniclers of the human condition. Her characters, many of whom reside in Maine or Massachusetts, are drawn with depth and grit. Her use of language is beautiful. And her themes, while sometimes bleak, are often empowering. Her latest novel, “The Things We Never Say,” continues her streak of exceptional fiction.
Our main character is Artie Dam, a fifty-seven-year-old high school history teacher. Artie is married to Evie, and they live in her childhood home on the coast of Massachusetts Bay. Their marriage is solid, although Evie has always found Artie to be a bit “soft” in his attitude toward life. The couple has one adult son, Rob, who is going through relationship problems. When the novel opens, Artie is saying goodbye to his dear friend Flossie, who is recently widowed and moving west to live with her daughter. Changes abound for Artie Dam.
Artie has recently experienced bouts of depression, and much of “The Things We Never Say” focuses on this. As Artie analyzes the current state of the country as well as his personal life, Strout trots out a large cast of supporting characters who we largely view through Artie’s eyes. Reading this novel allows us a glimpse into the cast of one man’s life, as coworkers, friends, neighbors, and family pop in and out of Artie’s orbit, each one drawn with realistic details that are a hallmark of Strout’s characters.
Reading this novel is an immersive experience. I could feel the breeze off Massachusetts Bay, envision the twinkling lights of the holiday festivities in Artie’s neighborhood, and hear the crisp dialogue that Strout is renowned for. Artie Dam is a likeable character, a man who treats others with kindness even as he battles his own demons. He doesn’t make you laugh like Olive Kitteridge, but he makes you empathize with all those he meets. The relationship between Artie and Rob is one of the highlights of this novel.
“The Things We Never Say” is a book very much of its time, and references to current events abound. However, the themes of friendship, familial loyalty, and midlife crisis are timeless and should allow this novel to age well. Strout does something toward the end of the book that seems like an attempt to unite people and remind us of the power of human connection despite our differences. This is a somber, reflective, and extremely moving novel, one of the best works yet by an author of incredible powers.
“The Things We Never Say” was published by Random House in May 2026. Available at Lithgow Public Library or by request at Minerva.maine.edu.
