Olive Kitteredge was a delightful read, so I decided to dive into
the newly released novel by Elizabeth Strout, The Burgess Boys, which
tells the story of brothers Bob and Jim and Bob's twin Susan. Born and
raised in small-town Shirley Falls, Maine, Bob and Jim move to New York
City and pursue careers in law, while Susan stays in Maine, eventually
raising her teenage son on her own. What sets the story in motion is
that her lonely son Zach puts a frozen pig's head in a mosque in the
local town, where a recent influx of Somalis have come to live. Jim,
the "golden boy" of the family, and Bob (who idolizes Jim) attempt to
help their sister and nephew, and in returning to Maine and becoming
involved in the family drama, they also revisit conversation that was put to rest long ago regarding their childhoods, specifically around the
accidental death of their father. The novel explores issues of guilt,
loyalty, and the imperfections of family life.
This was an easy read, however I did not find any of the characters
particularly likeable, compelling, or unique. While there are a few
plot twists, none of them were so climactic or riveting. For me, the
character development was not as strong as it was in Olive Kitteredge.
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