A coming of age story, well-written, a good story about the relationship between girls and their mothers, set in the days of free love and sexual exploration. Some harsh language.

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When I started this book, I had no expectations. But I was immediately intrigued by the story. The topic is uncomfortable at times, but the writing is good and keeps you interested. A deep psychological book with insights/thoughts that made me think.

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A lovely account of a mother/daughter disconnect, and the ability to love though it.

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A story about a mother and daughter who think they are very different but realize that they are not as different as they once believed.

Good read!!!

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A wonderful read with haunting characters. I almost thought about keeping this one to reread again at some point. One of the best books that I have read in a long time.

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Amy Goodrow, a shy high school student in a small mill town, falls in love with her math teacher, Thomas Robertson. What passes for a while as just a simple high school girl's secret crush, crosses from fantasy into reality when Thomas and Amy begin a secret love affair with each other. When this emotional and physical trespass is discovered, it brings disgrace to Amy's mother, Isabelle, and intensifies Isabelle's feelings of shame about her own past.

Mother and daughter - whose relationship was initially extremely close - suffers an almost physical blow, as both Amy and Isabelle retreat into icy silence towards each other. Amid the minor problems faced by many of the citizens in Shirley Falls, Maine, Amy and Isabelle have a more private misery: a seemingly unbridgeable chasm has opened up between them and nothing will ever be the same again.

I thought that this was a wonderful book, a superlative book. The characters were entirely believable and the book was written with incredible feeling and attention to detail. In my opinion, Elizabeth Strout did an excellent job in getting into her characters heads and describing their motivations. I give this book an A+! and have placed two more books by Elizabeth Strout - Abide With Me and Olive Kitteridge on my Wish List.

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I usually read biographies or history book, but this book, and the author (I've read her before) are wonderful...I couldn't put this book down, needing to know how it ended. For a fiction writer, Elizabeth is the best.

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Wonderfully constructed story, very engaging. Poetic writing. Worth a second read.

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So gritty. She really gets to the heart and soul and mind of her characters.

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Great Book!

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