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American author Elizabeth Strout discusses her novel Olive Kitteridge which won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize and was made into a successful HBO TV series.

The novel is a collection of thirteen short stories linked by the character Olive Kitteridge, a retired Maths teacher. What makes Olive striking is the variation in her roles throughout the book. In some of the stories, Olive is the main character. In others, Olive is only a supporting figure, a foil, or nothing more than a name mentioned in passing conversation.

Most of the stories are set in and around the small town of Crosby, Maine. It's a seemingly placid New England town that is in fact wrought with illicit affairs, crime and tragedy, all told through the lens of Olive, whose wicked wit and harsh demeanour mask a warm but troubled heart and staunch moral centre.

The stories span 25 years and focus on Olive's relationships with her husband, Henry, the good-hearted and kindly town pharmacist; their son, Christopher, who resents his mother's approach to parenting; and other members of their community.

With James Naughtie and a group of readers.

May's Bookclub choice : The Infatuations by Javier Marias (2013)

Interviewed guest : Elizabeth Strout
Presenter : James Naughtie
Producer : Dymphna Flynn.