Evensong
“Evensong” by Stewart O’Nan is a moving and deeply observant novel set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that captures the quiet complexities of marriage, memory, faith, and aging. Pittsburgh’s Humpty Dumpty Club, an organization of elderly women who support one another and their spouses through their golden years, finds itself in shambles after their leader, Joan, injures herself and can no longer manage the group. Determined to keep the organization running, Joan appoints Kitzi as the group’s new leader. Kitzi, along with her friends Emily, Arlene, and Susie, must fill the void Joan’s absence leaves while navigating their own relationships and challenges with aging. Evensong is the third novel in the Emily Maxwell series, but each book in the series can be read as a standalone. Tender, intimate, and beautifully rendered, Evensong offers a poignant meditation on ordinary lives lived with grace and perseverance.
