A review by jedbird
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The town of Shirley Falls, Maine, has seen a recent influx of Somali immigrants, and it's not entirely comfortable for either long-term residents or newcomers. During Ramadan, a young (white) man hurls a severed pig's head through the door of a mosque, upsetting and frightening the Somali Muslims.
The Burgess boys of the title are Jim and Bob, brothers and lawyers, living in New York. Their sister Susan is the mother of the young man with the pig's head, Zach, who isn't even sure why he did such a stupid thing. Susan asks her brothers to come handle the situation. Jim is famous and successful, and Bob is sort of a lawyer lite, but Jim is leaving on vacation, so Bob goes to Shirley Falls alone, and he doesn't contain things as well as Jim might have.
This story is told from multiple POVs, some of which I'm not sure were necessary, but it's a very readable, engaging story, as Ms. Strout's stories tend to be.
The Burgess boys of the title are Jim and Bob, brothers and lawyers, living in New York. Their sister Susan is the mother of the young man with the pig's head, Zach, who isn't even sure why he did such a stupid thing. Susan asks her brothers to come handle the situation. Jim is famous and successful, and Bob is sort of a lawyer lite, but Jim is leaving on vacation, so Bob goes to Shirley Falls alone, and he doesn't contain things as well as Jim might have.
This story is told from multiple POVs, some of which I'm not sure were necessary, but it's a very readable, engaging story, as Ms. Strout's stories tend to be.