Amy and Isabelle (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Elizabeth Strout
- First Published: 1999
- Type of Work: Novel
- Time of Work: The 1990’s
- Setting: Maine
- Principal Characters: Isabelle Goodrow, Amy Goodrow, Stacy Burrows, Avery Clark, Thomas Robertson
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Mothers, Parents and children, Sex or sexuality, Class consciousness, New England, Illegitimacy, 1990’s
- Locales: Maine
Elizabeth Strout’s first novel, Amy and Isabelle, is about desires, disappointments, and secrets and features a single mother, Isabelle Goodrow, and her sixteen-year-old daughter Amy. Both have needs which they hide from each other, until Amy is caught in a sexual encounter with one of her teachers and the mother and daughter’s relationship changes.
The story takes place in Shirley Falls, a mill town in Maine that is divided by a river. Amy and Isabelle live on one side of the river as the exceptions to the well-off residents who also live there, including Amy’s...
[The entire page is 1679 words long]
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