Lauren W.
It took me awhile to get used to the authors style in Olive 1, but then I loved it so starting Olive 2 was just like picking up where I left off! Olive just kept opening up as a character and person , her gruff loud personality with her vulnerable sometimes insecure moments in which I could relate to, those bits of her humanity and tenderness. Her impatience and shame over feeling diminished, but most importantly the insights she had about herself. I think the other stories let me see her from a distance in a way.. from another characters perspective , as she just “ shows up” in another story of the people living in her town, or frequently, she shows up years later through a former student. It’s like a tapestry of her life weaving in and out through these parallel stories. I loved the book- her humanity and the inner growth and insights she has. Her second husband and a second chance at love. Even a second chance with her son. She’s funny, loud, critical and inpatient, a little bit of a “ snob” as her second husband points out- but also at times so tender and emotional. She sees her flaws. She opens her heart better. She is all of us.