Rating: 
Summary: Quiet, Too Quiet
Review: I had read glowing reviews of this novel here and in the Times and decided to give it a go. It was billed as a quirky, quiet story which focused on the most difficult time of a mother/daughter relationship: adolescence. And although I did not enjoy this book at all, it did meet those above expectations. However, it is far more quiet than quirky, and throughout the novel I kept debating whether Strout was deliberately trying to prevent the reader from truly understanding and caring about these characters or if they were just simply that dull. The writing is fair, though nothing spectacular, and while the author has taken great pains to tie up all of the plot's threads by the novel's end, nothing really resolved itself to my satisfaction. The relationships described never rang true for me; I don't believe that a tale so lacking in humor and spirit can really be touted as "true to life".
Rating: 
Summary: Good story and theme, better than average writing
Review: Amy and Isabelle are unforgettable characters. I found Amy to be a realistically drawn teenage girl. Isabelle, however, was a hard character to accept and enjoy. I found her last minute confessions to Amy to be hard to swallow in light of the constant flow of judgment that had come from Isabelle thus far. The end felt rushed and sugary. Despite this, I enjoyed the story, enjoyed remembering what it's like to have those girlish crushes on an older man, and how one slip could potentially let things go too far. I enjoyed the subsidiary office characters and feel that Strout has a talent for writing dialogue. The most moving aspect of the novel is the theme of shared and inidvidual struggles. While we deal with our own seemingly insurmountable problems, people all over our town, and all over our country are having their own set of problems. Strout shows this with compassion, and without being preachy. All in all, it is a book worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow Starting, Difficult to stay with ...
Review: I wanted to enjoy this book as it had been recommended to me. It was so slow in getting going that I often put it down and would force myself to start it again. Finally half way through it picked up a bit. A Mother-Daughter saga with a handful of less than inspiring relationships. If you can muddle through to the middle it will hold your interest to the end. It is well written but so much is just unnecessary babbling. With the reviews written I had expected much more.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Story by a Talented Writer
Review: This novel is exceptional. Elizabeth Strout manages to take a simple, almost mundane story about a mother and her teenage daughter amd make it something special. The story takes place in a year in the life of Isabelle, a single mother, and her daughter Amy. Amy falls in love with her math teacher, and mother and daughter are, at least for a while, torn apart.What makes this novel so special is the incredible evocative powers Strout has. She is able to, with very few words, bring you to a time and a place, and you are there. That is not to say that the writing is in anyway "spare". Quite the contrary, this is a rich novel, but without any excess weight. Amy and Isabelle, as characters are completely real, completely believable. Although I do give this novel 5 stars, it does have a few, minor flaws. Amy never wonders about her father, which I found a little hard to accept. Additionally, sometimes, Strout's involvement of the minor characters seemed a little forced. As a whole, however, this is an outstanding first novel and I look forward to her future works. I also think this would make a great book club book as in it there are many topics for discussion--mother/daughter relationships, parenting, youth, to name a few.
Rating:
Summary: a promising first novel
Review: This is Elizabeth Strout's first novel, and, taking this into account, I have to say it's an excellent book: It has its flaws, sure, but all in all it's a story true to life, and has lots of good points that made me read it in 2 sittings... Strout has a real talent when it comes to portraying the characters- Amy and Isabelle: the shy, teenage daughter and the neurotic mother terrified of her past being revealed. Mr Robertson, the math teacher with whom Amy experiences lust & love for the first time. Fat Bev, a nurturant, kind woman who ultimately helps Isabelle face up to her past & start opening up... The descriptions of the weather or of other minor characters (especially the men, who all seem wooden & one dimensional) sometimes are a little tiring. Also, it's true that some loose ends remain in the end, but then, life itself often doesn't tidy everything up. The small town life of Shirley Falls is beautifully created, the painful but in the end cathartic relationship between mother and daughter is believable and true to life. The book is also very funny at times, for example I couldn't help laughting out loud when Isabelle was pathetically trying to read Hamlet. And in the end, Amy and Isabelle is one of those books that mark the beginning of a promising writing career. I look forward to reading Elizabeth Strout's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: Wonderful novel about a mother and her daughter struggling with their emotions for each other and the men they think they love. The mother (Isabelle), a mill worker, is enfatuated with her married boss, who has begun to snub her. Her 16-year-old daughter (Amy) has fallen in love with her math teacher, who uses and then ditches her. As they try to figure out how to process their respective broken hearts, they begin to pull away from each other as well. But can mothers and daughters ever truly break that line that connects them? Very moving and compassionate novel, with amazing characters (who provide a great deal of comic relief) and profound wisdom.
Rating: 
Summary: Did we all read the same book?
Review: I really disagree with the comparisons between Strout and Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Berg, and Alice Hoffman. This novel did not have the beautiful lyric quality of Hoffman, the profound humor of Tyler, nor the depth of character that one finds in Berg's work. There are so many problems with this book. Isabelle is a wooden, pathetic figure of a mother - I wanted to shake her when her discovery of her daughter's molestation leads her to abuse her daughter and worry about the intellectual impression she made on her daughter's molester. As a mother, my anger would have been directed at the criminal not the victim! In light of Isabelle's critical, jealous view of her daughter, why on earth would Amy forgive her - I couldn't. This is not the portrayal of a beautiful mother/daughter relationship! The ending was completely unbelievable and much too "happily ever after" to ring true. I found the use of Fat Bev objectional - wouldn't 'Bev' have been sufficient and much less discriminatory?I expect I will see quite a bit of disagreement to this review - perhaps Amazon should change the wording to "Do you agree with this review", instead of "Did you find it helpful" since that seems to be the feedback that is registered here.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: I really enjoyed this book! It tells of a mother and daughter who, by growing apart, grow together. Both Amy and Isabelle begin the story as innocent dreamers. Through the story they have those dreams and ideas of how the world should be challenged. I found Amy's experiences in the book very realistic. I have to limit my rating to 4 stars because of some sexually explicit scenes that may not have been necessary for the story to have it's impact.
Rating:
Summary: Mothers & Daughters
Review: This book grabs you from the first chapter, and entwines your heart with the passions of Amy and Isabelle. Amy's growing sexual awareness is portrayed with glowing intensity. Isabelle's motherly concerns and lonely self-protection as she struggles with raising her daughter alone in a New England mill town in the early 1970's are intensely believable. The story unfolds with mystery and grace like the layers of an onion. The supporting characters, from Fat Bev to the high school faculty, are all recognizable characters trying to make meaning of their lives. This is a celebration of small discoveries and the gifts that a loving, supportive group of women can bring to each other. I loved every page.
Rating:
Summary: This One Stays
Review: For over a year, this book was one among many I had bought butjust couldn't get into. I picked it up three days ago and almost fromthe first chapter, I returned to it every time I had a chance to read. Elizabeth Strout understands struggling to build and preserve one's own personhood and the love involved in nurturing those processes in other people. Through the struggles of both single mother Isabelle and only child Amy, Strout has a lot to say about letting go and separating. The strength of her characters and their relationships will stay with me; and her book will stay in my bookcase to make it easy to reread certain passages and to loan to a friend.
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