"This was the skin that protected you from the world - this loving of another person you shared your life with."
Yes, English teachers - many of us recall the rule about ending a sentence with a preposition. Who can be bothered with rules when captivated by a storyteller as skillful as Elizabeth Strout? Every one of the nine linked stories in Anything Is Possible (2017) is so nearly perfect that I'm unable to identify a favorite. The sentence opening this post - from Windmills - was the first of many I felt compelled to copy. Not pulled in yet? How about this?
"People could surprise you. Not just their kindness but also their sudden ability to express things the right way."
That's from The Hit Thumb Theory, arguably the most heartbreaking story in the book. But large parts of it still manage to sing with an unmistakable joy because of Strout's always-present capacious heart. I'm not at all sure how she does this but I'm so grateful to be witness to her exceptional gift.
"She suffered from only the most common complaint of all: Life had simply not been what she thought it would be."
And Strout is way too skillful to pummel you with any capital "E" epiphany. The hard-earned wisdom in the everyday lives of her characters - like in the sentence above from Dottie's Bed and Breakfast - comes to a reader without flourish. This is an author who never raises her voice but can be clearly heard at all times. Years back, right after finishing the deservedly praised Pulitzer prizewinner Olive Kitteridge (2008), I suspected Elizabeth Strout was a keeper for me. After now reading three more of her books, I'm totally smitten. What a blast.
"Yes, there it was, the perfect knowledge: Anything was possible for anyone." (from Gift)
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