Olive Kitteridge

Synopsis: Published in 2008, Olive Kitteridge is an unconventional novel-in-stories by Elizabeth Strout that interlinks 13 tales about the people of Crosby, Maine. On the surface, this seems to be a collection of short stories, but the unifying thread is the titular character of Olive. Olive is a retired math teacher in this small Maine town, married to Henry, the local pharmacist. She is a cranky misanthrope, while Henry is kind and affable. Sometimes Olive is front and center in the chapter, sometimes she merits barely a mention. Through this exploration of small town life, Strout focuses on the nuances of what brings people happiness, or causes someone to be kind or unkind. A Pulitzer Prize winner in 2009, it was also made into an HBO miniseries featuring Frances McDormand.

Review: I first read this when it was published in 2008, and recently re-read it for a local book club. I don’t often read a book twice, but this was well worth it. Olive has no filter. She is blunt, erratic and some might say caustic. She perceives herself as a no-nonsense truth teller, but constantly humiliates her husband and criticizes her son in ways that make him feel worthless. Yet, there is a softer, more empathic and caring side to Olive as well. What I found so interesting is that due to the structure of chapters and multiple POV, the reader actually gets a more complete sense of Olive, as compared to her neighbors, students, or heaven forbid her daughter-in-law. I found her to be even a little endearing, if also exasperating. Thematically, Olive Kitteridge is an exploration of loss. Loss of youth, loss of relationships, and loss of the illusions that life experience make difficult to maintain. However, Strout balances this serious topic with deft comedy.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: Olive has a bit of a complicated relationship with food. She likes her comfort food, but is not happy that as she proceeds through later life she is becoming a large woman. Several of the stories revolve around getting breakfast at the diner down at the marina. Olive enjoys her doughnuts (and the extra doughnut holes she gets at Dunkin’, but I would favor this blueberry ricotta breakfast cake from Ina Garten, and the blueberries are definitely a Maine vibe.

Ingredients:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk ricotta

2 tablespoons sour creaam

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

kosher salt

1 pint fresh blueberries, divided

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1) Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan, shaking out any excess flour

2) Place the butter and granulated sugar in a bowl and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. with the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, then add ricotta, sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well.

3) In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until just incorporated. with a rubber spatula, fold in 8 oz of blueberries. Transfer the batter to the springform pan, and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining 4 oz of blueberries on top, pressing in slightly.

4) Bake 45-55 minutes until done. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, remove the sides of the pan, and lightly dust the top with confectioner’s sugar.