SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE SUMMER “Strout’s capacious empathy and rigorous attention to the nuances of human behavior and psychology are as evident as ever.”—The Boston Globe “Artie Dam is someone you may never be able to forget.”—Financial Times* Artie Dam is living a double life. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbors, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He spends his days teaching history to eleventh graders, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most.