The Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout

A middle-aged school teacher struggling with life finds himself not waving but drowning

​Artie Dam is a much liked teacher and member of his community. He is married to Evie, who works as a therapist. She is more laconic and laid back, often giving questionable advice to her clients. They have a son, Rob, who was involved in a tragic accident that killed his girlfriend. It’s never spoken, but it is implied his negligence could be responsible. Artie is going through a period where it feels the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He also feels his country is on the wrong track, with the election of Donald Trump as president. In short, he’s not coping. Not only that, many people around him, friends and colleagues, are not coping either.

Into this dark and foreboding atmosphere a bomb is dropped by his son. He has discovered a family secret that threatens to blow them apart. With his mental health already perilously close to the edge, Artie must do his best to keep everything together, even when it seems that not only his family, but the whole country is falling apart. 

The Things We Never Say is the eleventh novel from American novelist Elizabeth Strout. It’s a concisely written portrait of small town America, but one that reflects a larger national mood. The novel simmers with a terrible despair, occasionally relieved with flashes of humour and warm humanity. Strout has one character, the simple yet pure-of-heart Rhonda Lazarre, a victim of classroom bullying, represent the noble yet fragile values of protecting the weak and always seeing the best in everyone. Her portrayal gives grounds for hope that decency and grace are still possible in a world filled with indifferent cruelty.

A psychologically rich look at everyday lives of quiet desperation.

The Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout. Published by Viking. $35

JUNE 2026