''Olive Kitteridge'' is a 2008 novel by American author Elizabeth Strout. The novel provides a portrait of the title character and a number of recurring characters in the coastal town of Crosby,
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...
. It takes the form of 13 short stories that are interrelated but discontinuous in terms of
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional ( memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc ...
.
It won the 2009
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published durin ...
and was a finalist for the 2008
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".HBO produced a four-part
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...
based on the novel featuring
Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and producer. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emm ...
in the title role, which aired on November 2 and 3, 2014. The series won eight awards at the 2015 Primetime Emmys. A sequel to the novel, titled '' Olive, Again'', was published on October 15, 2019 by
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
.
Stories
"Pharmacy"
The first story centres on Henry Kitteridge, the pharmacist of the town of Crosby and husband of Olive, and his relationship with an employee, Denise Thibodeau. Henry daydreams of taking care of Denise after the death of her husband, though he still loves his cantankerous wife Olive. Jerry McCarthy, the delivery boy, eventually proposes to Denise and the couple move to Texas. Denise maintains contact with Henry through a yearly birthday letter.
"Incoming Tide"
Kevin Coulson returns to Crosby where he grew up, planning to go to his childhood home and die by suicide. While sitting in his car he is approached by Olive Kitteridge, his former math teacher, who enters his car and speaks to him frankly about his mother's suicide years before and her own father's suicide. Kevin decides not to go through with his plan. Olive notices that a former classmate of Kevin's, Patty Howe, has fallen into the dock, and Kevin rescues her.
"The Piano Player"
Angie O'Meara, who plays piano at the Warehouse Bar and Grill, is an alcoholic who can only perform in front of people when she is drunk. One winter evening she sees her ex-boyfriend Simon in the audience and she calls her married lover, Malcolm, to break off their relationship. Simon later tells Angie that her mother, a prostitute, followed Simon and propositioned him. She thinks he is lying because of his dissatisfaction with his own life.
"A Little Burst"
Olive's only child, Christopher, finally marries at the age of 38. Olive finds the wedding overwhelming since she is very close to Chris. She overhears his new bride, Sue, making fun of the dress Olive is wearing, and implying that Olive is difficult. Infuriated, Olive steals and damages some of Sue's clothes, giving her a little burst of happiness of the kind Olive depends on to make her life worth living.
"Starving"
Harmon, who runs the local hardware store, begins an affair with the widow Daisy Foster after his wife, Bonnie, informs him she is no longer interested in sex. Harmon observes Tim Burnham and his girlfriend Nina and is intrigued by their loose attitudes towards drugs and sex. When Tim leaves Nina, she goes to Daisy for help and reveals she suffers from anorexia. Olive Kitteridge, Harmon and Daisy all try to help Nina, but she eventually suffers a relapse and dies. These events cause Harmon to realize he is in love with Daisy and he rents Tim and Nina's former home, in preparation for leaving Bonnie.
"A Different Road"
Olive reflects on an occasion when she stopped at a small hospital emergency room to use their bathroom. Despite not feeling ill, she was persuaded to have an examination. The delay meant that Olive and Henry were there when two young men invaded the hospital looking for drugs. Held hostage alongside the nurse and the doctor, Henry and Olive began quarreling, with Olive disparaging Henry's mother and Henry taking the nurse's side when Olive rebuked her for praying. After their rescue, tensions remain between the couple and Olive reflects how their relationship has been affected by their experiences at the hospital.
"Winter Concert"
Jane and Bob Houlton, a retired couple, meet the parents of their daughter's friends at a concert. Jane knows that one of their daughters has had an abortion. In conversation, the couple mention seeing Bob at an airport in Miami. At home, Jane confronts Bob, who admits that, four years earlier, his former mistress had contacted him because she had breast cancer. Jane is upset by his betrayal.
"Tulips"
Olive's son Chris and his new wife have moved to California. After a year, Chris announces that they are divorcing but he will be staying in California. Olive and Henry try to adjust to retired life, but Henry suffers a stroke which leaves him unresponsive, forcing him to move to a care home. Olive finds herself contemplating suicide now that she lives alone. After receiving a condolence note, Olive goes to visit Louise Larkin. Louise and her husband have become shut-ins after their son Doyle committed murder. Louise talks about suicide with Olive and mocks her for lying to make her life appear better than it is. Shortly after while visiting Henry, Olive gives him "permission" to die but he continues to live.
"Basket of Trips"
Olive helps set up the wake of Ed Bonney, something Henry would have done were he well. During the wake, Kerry Monroe, the cousin of Ed's widow Marlene, becomes intoxicated and makes a scene. Olive later finds Marlene with Kerry, who has passed out. Marlene confesses to Olive that, since Ed died, Kerry has confessed to having previously had an affair with him. She asks Olive to dispose of a basket filled with pamphlets for vacation packages which Marlene now feels unable to look at.
"Ship in a Bottle"
Winnie's sister Julie is left at the altar by her fiancé Bruce, who tells her he wants to continue dating, but does not want to get married. Julie's mother Anita threatens to kill Bruce and disown Julie if she continues her relationship with him after he left her at the altar. Nevertheless, Julie leaves on a bus to go to Bruce in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Anita finds a note Julie wrote to Winnie asking her to stop her parents finding out and Winnie realizes that something between her and her mother is now broken.
"Security"
Chris has married a second time and is now living in New York City. He asks Olive to visit and she goes, realizing that Chris's invitation is only a way to get her to help out with his two young stepchildren. Olive dislikes Chris's new wife Ann, who smokes and drinks while pregnant, but does her best to help out. After an incident during a trip to get ice cream, Olive tells Chris she wants to leave and they quarrel. Olive leaves New York City and goes home early with neither her son nor daughter-in-law taking her to the airport.
"Criminal"
The penultimate story focuses on Rebecca Brown, the daughter of a minister, who starts to develop
kleptomania
Kleptomania is the inability to resist the urge to steal items, usually for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. Some of the main cha ...
after her father's death and fantasizes about burning things.
"River"
After Henry's death, Olive meets widower Jack Kennison, a retired professor, after she finds him having fainted on a walking path. Olive and Jack build up a friendship that blossoms into romance despite their different political beliefs. Olive begins a new relationship with him realizing she has found a reason to live again.
Characters
The Kitteridge Family
* Olive Kitteridge – an abrasive junior high school math teacher, later a volunteer for a variety of organizations including the
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the des ...
and a museum in
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...
.
* Henry Kitteridge – Olive's husband, Crosby's town
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
.
* Pauline Kitteridge – Henry's mother. She and Olive had a bad relationship.
* Ora – Olive's aunt.
* Christopher "Chris" Kitteridge – Olive and Henry's son, a
podiatrist
A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...
.
* Dr. Suzanne "Sue" Bernstein-Kitteridge – Chris's first wife, Jewish, from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, persuades him to leave Crosby and move to California, they divorce soon thereafter.
* Ann Kitteridge – Chris's second wife, met in a
support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...
for divorcees, encourages him to follow their therapist to New York City.
* Theodore – Ann's son by her first marriage.
* Annabelle – Ann's daughter, father never identified, apparently the result of a fling after her divorce.
The Thibodeau/McCarthy Family
* Denise Thibodeau – works at Henry Kitteridge's
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
, the not-so-secret object of his affection.
* Henry Thibodeau – Denise's first husband, a former football hero, works as a plumber, killed in a hunting accident by his best friend Tony Kuzio.
* Jerry McCarthy – overweight delivery boy at the pharmacy, eventually becomes Denise's second husband, they move to Texas.
* Paul McCarthy – Jerry and Denise's teenaged son, obese like his father.
Lounge Patrons and Employees
* Angela "Angie" O'Meara – alcoholic piano player.
* Malcolm Moody – Crosby's first selectman, having an extramarital affair with Angie.
* Joe – bartender.
* Betty – waitress.
* Walter Dalton – alcoholic regular, former college professor, Malcom Moody calls him a "fairy."
* Simon – Angie's former boyfriend, also a piano player, left her to become a real estate lawyer in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Foster Connections
* Daisy Foster – goes to church with Henry Kitteridge (whereas Olive will not).
* Copper Foster – Daisy's deceased husband, a policeman.
* Harmon – surname never given, owns
hardware store
Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing suppl ...
, has an affair with Daisy.
* Bonnie – Harmon's wife, he eventually leaves her for Daisy. They have 4 adult sons, but only two are named.
* Kevin – One of Harmon and Bonnie's sons, he keeps in closest contact with his parents.
* Derrick – Another of Harmon and Bonnie's sons, more aloof.
* Martha – Kevin's wife, a vegetarian.
The Burnham Connections
* Timothy "Tim" Burnham –
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
worker, busted for growing
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
.
* Nina White – Tim's girlfriend, suffers from
anorexia
Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
, Daisy Foster, Harmon and Olive all try to help her, eventually dies in treatment.
* Victoria – Nina's friend who eventually steals Tim from her and worsens her eating disorder.
* Kathleen Burnham – Tim's aunt.
The Houlton Family
* Jane Houlton –
school nurse
School nursing, a specialized practice of public health nursing, protects and promotes student health, facilitates normal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, bridge the gap b ...
at
junior high school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
, works with Olive.
* Bob Houlton – Jane's husband, apparently has a former
mistress
Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to:
Romance and relationships
* Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a d ...
in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
.
* Becky Houlton – Jane and Bob's daughter.
* Tim Houlton – Jane and Bob's son.
The Granger Family
* Alan Granger – he and his wife are called "The Lydias" by the Houlton family, because their connection is through their daughter.
* Donna Granger – the other half of "The Lydias," has eye lift surgery that Jane Houlton finds disturbing.
* Lydia Granger – Alan and Donna's daughter, married a
veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
who bit her.
* Patty Granger – another daughter of Alan and Donna.
The Larkin Family
* Roger Larkin – a banker.
* Louise Larkin – Roger's wife, a
guidance counselor
A school counselor is a professional who works in primary (elementary and middle) schools or secondary schools to provide academic, career, college access/affordability/admission, and social-emotional competencies to all students through a school ...
at Olive's school, undergoes shock therapy in Portland.
* Doyle Larkin – Roger and Louise's son, murders a woman by stabbing her repeatedly.
* Suzanne Larkin — Roger and Louse's daughter, now a lawyer living in Connecticut.
The Monroe-Bonney Family
* Marlene Monroe Bonney – Olive's former student, also mentioned as a customer at Harmon's hardware store.
* Ed Bonney – Marlene's high school sweetheart and eventual husband, owns a grocery, dies after a lengthy illness.
* Eddie Bonney – Marlene and Ed's son, serves in the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...
.
* Lee Ann Bonney – Marlene and Ed's daughter, studying to become a nurse.
* Cheryl Bonney – Marlene and Ed's younger daughter.
* Kerry Monroe – Marlene's cousin, gets in trouble with the law, briefly tries to seduce Chris Kitteridge, an alcoholic, gets a job at the Bonney grocery, seduces Ed (which she reveals at his funeral before passing out).
The Harwood Family
* Anita Harwood – cashier at hospital coffee shop, former "Miss Potato Queen".
* Jim/Jimmy Harwood – Anita's husband, school janitor, recovering alcoholic.
* Winnifred "Winnie" Harwood – Anita and Jim's daughter.
* Julie – Anita's daughter by her first marriage, one of Olive's former students.
* Kyle – Winnie's uncle, evidently Anita's brother, supplies the family with
tranquilizers
A tranquilizer is a drug that is designed for the treatment of anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and disturbances of the mind, specifically to reduce states of anxiety and tension.
Etymology
Tranquilizer, as a term, was first used by F.F. Yon ...
.
* Ted – Anita's first husband, Julie's father, a
carpenter
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters t ...
.
* Bruce – Julie's fiancé who jilts her on their wedding day, a vacationer from Boston who rented a cottage with his brothers.
The Brown-Caskey Family
* Rebecca Brown – one of Olive's former students, a
kleptomaniac
Kleptomania is the inability to resist the urge to steal items, usually for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. Some of the main ch ...
who can't get a job.
* David – Rebecca's live-in boyfriend.
* Rev. Carleton Brown – Rebecca's father.
* Charlotte Caskey Brown – Rebecca's mother, abandons her family, moves to
Tarzana, California
Tarzana is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Tarzana is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is named after Burroughs' fictional jungle hero, Tarzan.
Histo ...
where she becomes a follower of
Scientology
Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a Scientology as a business, business, or a new religious movement. The most recent ...
Congregational
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
minister.
Townfolk
* Bob Beane – encountered Angie O'Meara's ex-boyfriend Simon in Boston.
* Andrea Bibber – one of Olive's former students, a
Social Worker
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
* Cynthia Bibber – Andrea's mother, suggests Olive and Henry are depressed after hospital incident.
* Mary Blackwell – indiscreet nurse who revealed Louise Larkin had undergone shock treatments at the hospital where she used to work in Portland, later takes a job at a local
nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to i ...
.
* Susan Bradford – attends Ed Bonney's funeral.
* Emily Buck – postal clerk.
* Cindy – Henry Kitteridge's nurse at the
assisted living
An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is si ...
facility after he has a stroke.
* Molly Collins –
home economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
teacher, she and Olive help Marlene Bonney host a reception after her husband's funeral.
* Candy Connelly – Harmon's fourth grade crush.
* Harry Coombs – died of
lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include en ...
.
* Dr. Kevin Coulson – returns from New York to commit suicide, impulse interrupted by a visit with Olive and a near drowning.
* Bessie Davis –
old maid
An old maid is a spinster.
Old maid or Old Maid may also refer to:
Games
*Old maid (card game), a simple game popular around the world, existing in many variants
*, a German card game (variant of ) whose name translates as 'old maid'
Film
* ' ...
, frequent customer at Harmon's hardware store, lonely, talks too much.
* Mrs. Granger – cantankerous employee at Henry Kitteridge's pharmacy, dies in her sleep, replaced by Denise Thibodeau.
* Matt Grearson – attends Ed Bonney's funeral.
* Cecil Green – " slow", he brings coffee and donuts to the
reporter
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
s who hover around the Larkin home after Doyle murders a woman.
* Patty Crane Howe – waitress at the
marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or ...
, recently miscarried, almost drowns but is rescued by Kevin Coulson and Olive.
* Rachel Jones – gets
Valium
Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, a ...
from Henry Kitteridge after her husband leaves her.
* Jack Kennison – stuffy Harvard graduate, retired in Crosby with wife, they have one daughter (unnamed) who is a
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
and lives in California, he and Olive begin dating after they are both widowed, she is shocked to discover he is a Republican.
* Mrs. Kettleworth – Daisy Foster stole a pear from her front yard when she was a child.
* Tony Kuzio – Henry Thibodeau's lifelong friend, kills him in a hunting accident.
* Miss Lampley – Chris Kitteridge's first grade teacher.
* Beth Marden – operates a nursery school, Julie's former employer.
* Donny Madden – attends Ed Bonney's funeral.
* Greg Marston – buys
ball bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.
The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this ...
s at Harmon's hardware store.
* Mrs. Merriman – gets her blood pressure medicine at Henry Kitteridge's pharmacy.
* Cliff Mott – suffering from
heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...
but still shovels snow.
* Bill Newton – friend of Henry and Olive Kitteridge.
* Bunny Newton – Bill's wife, Olive's
confidant
The confidant ( or ; feminine: confidante, same pronunciation) is a character in a story whom a protagonist confides in and trusts. Confidants may be other principal characters, characters who command trust by virtue of their position such as ...
.
* Karen Newton – Bill and Bunny's daughter, cheats on her husband ''Eddie''.
* Jim O'Casey – taught at junior high school with Olive, he picked her and Chris up every morning to drive them to school, spoke of leaving their spouses and running away together but he died in an automobile accident, perhaps while drunk, before acting on this impulse.
* Wayne Roote – suffers from
dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
.
* Betty Simms – close neighbor of Olive and Henry, had five children.
* Mrs. Tibbets – gets
erythromycin
Erythromycin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes respiratory tract infections, skin infections, chlamydia infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and syphilis. It may also be used durin ...
prescription filled at Henry Kitteridge's pharmacy.
* Les Washburn – landlord, rents a house first to Tim Burnham and Nina White, but evicts them after a pot bust, later rents the same house to Daisy Foster and Harmon.