Month: May 2026

“To his wife, he appeared the most considerate man she had ever known, though irritating in his way.”

A review of “The Things We Never Say” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

Of the four ways a story can convey information—action, dialogue, description, and commentary—Elizabeth Strout excels in the most difficult one: commentary. It’s the hottest spice, and calibrating the right amount is an art. I think … Read More

“We are all of us haunted by ghosts because they are not ghosts, these people we once knew . . . [they] continue to touch us.”

A review of “Modern American Memoirs” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

This collection of excerpts from memoirs by 35 American writers gave me a chance to discover the work of Frederick Buechner (1926-2022). He was a novelist and a Presbyterian minister who wrote several “spiritual autobiographies.” Here is a … Read More

“I know this life that I’ve lived is false at its core, and while I yearn for another, I’m afraid . . .”

A review of “The Personal Librarian” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

As luck would have it, I saw the haunting painting “The Drop Sinister – What Shall We Do with It?” by Harry Wilson Watrous during the same week that I read  the historical novel The Personal Librarian… Read More