The Echoes of Our Past
There’s a moment in Elizabeth Strout’s exquisite new novel-in-stories, “Anything Is Possible,” when a character muses that “Tender shoots grew from the thickest roots.” It’s an apt metaphor for this quietly powerful book, which explores how the past echoes through the present, how childhood experiences shape us in ways both obvious and subtle, and how even the smallest moments of connection can nourish us.
Set in the rural Illinois town of Amgash and its surroundings, “Anything Is Possible” serves as a companion piece to Elizabeth Strout’s acclaimed 2016 novel “My Name Is Lucy Barton.” While Lucy herself appears only briefly, the book delves into the lives of those she left behind when she escaped her impoverished upbringing. Through a series of interconnected stories, Strout paints a nuanced portrait of small-town American life, revealing the rich inner worlds and complex relationships hidden beneath placid exteriors.
A Masterful Mosaic of Human Experience
With her signature compassion and keen insight into human nature, Strout weaves together the stories of various Amgash residents. We meet Lucy’s siblings, Pete and Vicky, still grappling with the legacy of their difficult childhood. There’s Tommy Guptill, the former school janitor haunted by a long-ago tragedy. Patty Nicely, a guidance counselor wrestling with her own sense of worth. Charlie Macauley, a Vietnam vet struggling with the weight of secrets.
Each character is rendered with such depth and specificity that they feel startlingly real. Strout has an uncanny ability to capture the cadences of everyday speech and the telling details that reveal a person’s inner life. A simple gesture or offhand remark can speak volumes about a character’s hopes, fears, and regrets.
The Power of Empathy
What’s particularly remarkable about “Anything Is Possible” is Elizabeth Strout’s profound empathy for her characters. Even those who behave badly are treated with compassion and understanding. We see how early trauma and deprivation have shaped them, how they’re all doing their best to navigate life’s complexities with the tools they have.
This empathy extends to the reader as well. Strout invites us to step into the shoes of each character, to see the world through their eyes. In doing so, she reminds us of our shared humanity and the importance of extending grace to others—and to ourselves.
The Ripple Effects of Trauma
A recurring theme throughout the book is the long-lasting impact of childhood experiences, particularly trauma. We see how Lucy’s siblings are still shaped by their poverty-stricken upbringing, how Tommy Guptill’s life was forever altered by a single tragic night. Strout explores how these experiences ripple out, affecting not just the individuals involved but their relationships and the wider community.
Yet “Anything Is Possible” by Elizabeth Strout is not a bleak book. There’s a current of resilience running through these stories, a sense that healing and growth are always possible. Characters find unexpected moments of connection and understanding. They discover reserves of strength they didn’t know they had.
Masterful Storytelling
Strout’s prose is deceptively simple, clean and unadorned. Yet there’s a quiet power to her writing, an ability to convey deep emotion and profound truths with seemingly effortless grace. She has a keen eye for the telling detail, the small gesture that reveals volumes about a character’s inner life.
The structure of the book—interconnected stories that gradually build to create a rich tapestry of small-town life—allows Strout to explore her themes from multiple angles. We see characters from different perspectives, gaining a more complete understanding of their complexities. It’s a testament to Strout’s skill that these stories feel both self-contained and part of a cohesive whole.
Moments of Grace
Some of the most powerful moments in “Anything Is Possible” come when characters reach across the divides of class, experience, or understanding to truly see one another. There’s a scene where Tommy Guptill visits Pete Barton, Lucy’s reclusive brother, and they share a moment of unexpected connection. Another where Patty Nicely has a revealing conversation with a troubled student. These moments of grace, of human beings recognizing each other’s essential humanity, form the emotional core of the book.
The Role of Stories
Strout also explores the power of stories—the ones we tell ourselves, the ones we tell others, and the ones that shape our understanding of the world. We see how Lucy’s success as a writer has rippled through the community, offering both inspiration and a source of resentment. Characters grapple with the gap between the stories they’ve told themselves about their lives and the more complex realities.
A Nuanced Exploration of Small-Town America
While “Anything Is Possible” by Elizabeth Strout is deeply rooted in its small-town Illinois setting, it avoids easy stereotypes or generalizations about rural America. Strout presents a nuanced portrait of a community grappling with economic challenges, changing social norms, and the tension between tradition and progress.
We see characters struggling with poverty, with the limitations of small-town life, with the weight of family expectations. Yet we also see the strength of community ties, the comfort of familiar routines, the beauty of the natural world. Strout neither romanticizes nor denigrates small-town life, instead presenting it in all its complex, messy reality.
The Possibility of Change
The title “Anything Is Possible” speaks to a central theme of the book—the idea that change and growth are always possible, no matter how entrenched our patterns may seem. We see characters making small but significant shifts in their perspectives and relationships. They find new ways of understanding their past and imagining their future.
This sense of possibility is tempered by realism. Strout doesn’t offer easy solutions or dramatic transformations. Instead, she shows how small moments of insight or connection can gradually shift the course of a life.
A Worthy Companion to “My Name Is Lucy Barton”
While “Anything Is Possible” can be read and appreciated on its own, it gains additional depth when considered alongside “My Name Is Lucy Barton.” The two books offer different perspectives on shared events and characters, creating a rich, multifaceted exploration of family, community, and the long shadow cast by childhood experiences.
Readers familiar with “My Name Is Lucy Barton” will appreciate the deeper insight into characters only glimpsed in that book. We get to know Lucy’s siblings, see her hometown through other eyes. Yet “Anything Is Possible” is very much its own book, with its own themes and emotional landscape.
A Quiet Masterpiece
“Anything Is Possible” further cements Elizabeth Strout’s place as one of our finest chroniclers of the human heart. With exquisite prose, deep empathy, and keen psychological insight, she has created a book that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.
This is not a novel of dramatic events or shocking twists. Instead, it offers something rarer and more valuable—a deeply felt, beautifully observed exploration of the quiet moments that shape a life. Strout reminds us of the profound connections that bind us all, the possibility of growth and change that exists even in the most seemingly set circumstances.
In a cultural moment often defined by division and misunderstanding, “Anything Is Possible” offers a gentle but powerful reminder of our shared humanity. It’s a book that enlarges our capacity for empathy and understanding—surely one of the highest callings of literature.
