A review by donnawr1
Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

4.0

A novel set in 1950s small town Maine. It goes into the detailed lives of a young Congregational minister, his wife, who dies young, his daughter and several of his parishioners. There's all the smallness of daily life and petty motivations that make for some nasty gossip and consequences. There are the constraints of women's roles in the 50s, the undiagnosed PTSD suffered in war, and the trauma of the loss of a young wife and mother for a man of God and his daughter. Infused throughout are lovely descriptions of the winter scenery in Maine and lots of bits of prayer and reflection on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer which form the backbone of faith for the minister. It is mostly about the humanity of people in this town, though, and because it is Elizabeth Strout, it is beautifully done.