Pat D. (pat0814) reviewed on 1/18/2016 + 379 more book reviews

Elizabeth Strout's great strength is her unique ability to allow her readers to "see" her characters. The plot is secondary to the character studies in this book. The Burgess "boys," Bob and Jim live very different lives, but come together when their sister's son is accused of a hate crime in their small Maine hometown. In addition to Bob, Jim and the peripheral friends and relatives, their hometown also becomes a fascinating study of differing American viewpoints. The collective and individual dysfunctional lives of the characters in Burgess Boys become understandable when viewed in retrospect. Perhaps this is true of all dysfunction. As always, Strout leaves her readers with much to ponder at the conclusion of this novel.

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