Abide With Me, Elizabeth Strout

When I read a book, I copy down quotes I love into my Evernote, then go back and savor them over and over.

So tonight I was thinking of one such quote and I tried to tweet it.  It was too long so I made it a two-tweeter; not sure I ever did a two-tweeter before.

Here's the quote, see what you think.

"Tell me about yourself."  She didn't know what to tell.  In her mind, she was a faint pencil line on a piece of paper; everyone else was drawn in ink, some -- like the minister -- with a firm Magic Marker.

I know, right?!  That's how Elizabeth Strout writes.   Here's another one....

It seemed a calmly played middle C hung in the air between them.

You're either going to get this or not, either love it or think it's weird.  I love it.  This is the type of writing that amazes me, comforts me, soothes me, encourages me.  I see mankind in this writing.  I feel my heart beat in this writing.

You go along in life -- you're just Connie.  And then you're not the same; inside a stem has snapped.  After that, you're nothing.  Nobody knows it, but you're a simple "nothing" in the whole wide world.

He didn't want to dwell on the glance they'd exchanged, but he'd been surprised by the effect on him;  it seemed as though he had not met the eyes of anyone for a very long time.

If these quotes thrill you, each one telling you a whole story, then you need to read Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout.  Then get all her other books and read them as well.  Then come back and thank me.  You're welcome.