In an interview, Elizabeth Strout said that she once met an advisor in the Obama administration who said that he was there to help make choices. It turned out, however, that most often the best course of action was so obvious that that they really didn’t have to debate what to do – they all just agreed what should happen. Characters in this novel question how often they consciously make decisions, as opposed to just going with the flow. It’s a rather unsettling idea – that we frequently forfeit the opportunity to make choices and instead let things happen. Is it true?
Strout, Elizabeth. Oh, William! Random House, 2021, p. 154.
That write-up intrigued me! I enjoy Stout’s writing style and now I am eager to read the book.