Strout, Elizabeth – “Anything is Possible”

“Anything is Possible" is the latest novel by the American writer Elizabeth Strout, which was published in 2017.

Setting and Themes

The novel is set in Amgash, Illinois, a small provincial town, where all the inhabitants know each other, greet each other with a smile, but ferociously criticize each other secretly and carefully hide, in the intimacy of their homes, disturbing skeletons in the closets.

This novel is about violated childhood and social inequalities. Despite this, it is able to convey a message of positivity, trust and possibility of redemption.

Characters and Painful Past

All the characters have a painful past. In particular, many characters have been unconscious victims of violent fathers and anaffective mothers, have grown up in the moral squalor of parents, and still bear their marks today.
In this novel, three female figures stand out: Patty and Mary.

Patty had a troubled childhood and restless adolescence; she is currently an overweight, humiliated and derided widow. She has been able to draw from her experience a sensitivity that allows her to carry out the profession of school consultant: she supports young people in difficulty and directs them towards social redemption.

Mary, after sacrificing almost all of her existence with a man who has betrayed and made her unhappy for years, finally decides, now an elderly woman, to carve out a little happiness for herself by going to live in Italy with a young companion , without the approval of the daughter.