The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

 

I am a fan of Elizabeth Strout. Not only does she create memorable characters, but her knowledge of human behavior with its many quirks always makes for a beautifully crafted story. This book is no exception.

Artie Dam is an outwardly stable high school history teacher, but the inner turmoil he is experiencing, specifically whether he wants to go on living, makes for a highly conflicted person. Hiding his inner feelings from his wife and adult son, Artie is caught up in the 2024 presidential election, which compounds his feeling of doom. Serendipitously, he is almost drowned in a boating accident that makes him appreciate life and those around him with renewed vigor. As for the presidential election, he still has his misgivings.

This is an empathetic look at how isolated a person can become even surrounded by family and friends. In Artie, a seemingly normal person, Strout has created a tool for self-examination and takes a magnifying glass to society as a whole. What the reader finds can be both uncomfortable and illuminating. The politics are left-leaning, but do not dominate the storyline; instead, it looks at where we were as a country and the power of the presidency. An entertaining and highly satisfying book. 

5/5 stars.

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Country People by Daniel Mason

 

Daniel Mason has once again created wonderful characters who come to life as we watch them grow and adapt to a new environment. Mason's last book, North Woods, was one of my favorites in 2025, and this one will rank up there among my favorites in 2026.

Miles, his wife Kate, and their two children relocate from an urban California city to a small college town in rural Vermont when Kate gets a one-year visiting professorship. Miles, a bit of a dreamer, is a stay-at-home dad, ostensibly working on his PhD dissertation. At age forty-five, after eleven different dissertation topic attempts, he is now drawn to Russian folktales as a sure-fire topic. Alas, he is soon diverted from his task by a group of local characters who convince him that the earth is hollow and that there is a cave leading to an underground world — if only they could find it. Miles soon comes to believe there may be some truth to the local legend and enthusiastically joins the hunt for it.

As the months pass and the seasons change, the family gradually settles into their new life, trying to shed their urban ways and become Country People. 

This is a study in family dynamics and the lengths people will go to "fit in." I loved the Hollow Earth characters, who are so dedicated to their mission that they don't see its absurdity. Miles is a big-hearted character who tilts at windmills. Although North Woods is still my favorite Daniel Mason book, this, in its own quirky way, is also very good. 

4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is July 7, 2026.

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