Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

A book set in the town of Crosby, Maine - with different chapters about various troubled townspeople. Olive is the tie that binds all the stories together as she is somehow placed in each, in a different capacity. She is a complicated woman and difficult to love, a hard mother, a prickly wife and an opinionated citizen. Yet, she does find love, understanding to a degree and does uncover some of her own redeeming qualities There is always more to a person than what we are capable of seeing. I recognized a lot of myself in Olive and it wasn't flattering at all. Honesty is important yes, but can be brutal and hurtful too (I will temper myself). It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009. I thought it was well written and insightful but definitely not for everyone.