You should know who Olive Kitteridge is.

A couple of months ago, I stumbled onto a second-hand bookstore in Kirkwood, Mo where I found a stack of books that needed a home.

One of these books, Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout, was amazing. I had never read a novel where the author uses vignettes, or short stories, told by 13 different people to make one character ring clear and true.

Strout's prose are powerful and paint a picture of life in a small town as well as explores life's hurts and pains, peace and joys. There are moments where you are unsure if you like Olive and others at which you so closely relate to her that it's scary.

Olive can be stern, depressing, strong, bossy, enthusiastic, observant, intentional, and loving. You definitely finish this book wondering what your relationship with Olive would be like and what Olive's relationship with you, would be like.

An added plus: the cool interview with the author in the back of the book with Olive "chiming in". She made me laugh out loud...a few times.

This is just one of the books I found that day. I'll definitely let you know how the rest are...as well as look up the address to that book store!