Olive Kitteridge books in order

Q: "How many Olive Kitteridge books are there?"

"There are two books in the series: Olive Kitteridge (2008) and Olive, Again (2019). Both are novels told in linked stories."

Q: "Do I need to read Olive Kitteridge before Olive, Again?"

"Yes. Olive, Again picks up where the first book leaves off and follows Olive into old age. Reading Olive Kitteridge first gives you the full arc of the character and her relationships in Crosby, Maine."

Q: "Is Olive Kitteridge a novel or short stories?"

"It is structured as thirteen linked stories set in the fictional town of Crosby, Maine. Olive Kitteridge appears in each story, sometimes as the main character and sometimes in the background. The book reads as both a short story collection and a novel."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Olive Kitteridge	2008	Elizabeth Strout	Buy
2	Olive, Again	2019	Elizabeth Strout	Buy

The Olive Kitteridge series by Elizabeth Strout follows Olive Kitteridge, a retired math teacher in the fictional coastal town of Crosby, Maine. Olive is blunt, difficult, and often unkind, but she is also deeply perceptive and capable of unexpected tenderness. The first book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2009 and was adapted into an HBO miniseries starring Frances McDormand in 2014.

Each book is told through linked stories rather than a continuous narrative. Olive appears in every story, but the focus shifts among the residents of Crosby. Through these overlapping lives, Strout builds a portrait of a small town over decades. The stories deal with marriage, aging, grief, and the ways people fail and forgive each other.

Olive, Again (2019) picks up in Olive’s later years as she faces widowhood, a new relationship, and the reality of growing old. The sequel was a finalist for the Booker Prize. Together, the two books trace one woman’s life from middle age through her final years, with Strout’s characteristic attention to the small, painful, and sometimes funny details of everyday life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Olive Kitteridge books are there?

There are two books in the series: Olive Kitteridge (2008) and Olive, Again (2019). Both are novels told in linked stories.

Do I need to read Olive Kitteridge before Olive, Again?

Yes. Olive, Again picks up where the first book leaves off and follows Olive into old age. Reading Olive Kitteridge first gives you the full arc of the character and her relationships in Crosby, Maine.

Is Olive Kitteridge a novel or short stories?

It is structured as thirteen linked stories set in the fictional town of Crosby, Maine. Olive Kitteridge appears in each story, sometimes as the main character and sometimes in the background. The book reads as both a short story collection and a novel.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order