Elizabeth Strout Recommends 4 Must-Read Books from Classics to Historical Fiction—Including One That Ann Patchett ‘Loves’
From beautiful writing to unforgettable characters, every book here is a 5-star read!
Key Takeaways
- Elizabeth Strout's novels are beloved for their deeply human, small-town characters.
- Strout recommends 4 books—her reading list spans Jazz Age classics to modernist masterpieces.
- Ann Patchett counts Strout among her favorite writers, and these picks show why.
Elizabeth Strout is beloved by readers and authors alike for her poignant, small-town stories and memorable characters. One equally revered author who often sings Strout’s praises? Ann Patchett. In fact, Patchett regards Strout as one of her “very favorite” writers. “When I go back to things I used to love, or classics that I haven’t read, it’s a level of writing that I find inspiring to my own writing,” Patchett told Jenna Bush Hager on the Open Book With Jenna podcast.
“I think that’s the deepest heart of it—when I’m reading somebody who really inspires me. I feel that way about Elizabeth Strout, who I love, and whenever I read one of her books I think, that’s who I want to be when I grow up. I want to write like Liz Strout.”
Known for her bestselling novels Olive Kitteridge, Olive, Again and The Things We Never Say, Strout has earned worldwide acclaim for her deeply human stories about navigating everyday life in picturesque small towns.
Interested to find out which books are on Strout’s shelf and whether she and Patchett share any favorite reads? You’re in the right place! Here are four books Strout says are must-reads from literary classics to historical fiction!
‘Tender is the Night’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald—the classic that Ann Patchett ‘loves’ too
The latest printing of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s modern classic features an introduction by Amor Towles, bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow, and a foreword by Fitzgerald’s great-granddaughter, Blake Hazard. While promoting the new edition in 2025, Towles joined Ann Patchett for a conversation at Nashville’s Parnassus Books, where Ann declared, “I loved this book—and I don’t love all of Fitzgerald’s backlist.” Set in 1920s France, Tender is The Night follows young American actress Rosemary Hoyt and her complicated relationship with the enchanting couple Dick and Nicole Diver.
What Strout said about it: When asked by Elle which book has the greatest ending, Strout answered Tender is the Night. “To see the character of Dick Diver change so much from the beginning of that book—a splendid man on the beach of the French Riviera—to the man at the end of that book, riding his bicycle through upstate New York, has always just blown me away.”
What other readers are saying: “When Fitzgerald finished this gem, he was stunned by the poor reviews it received. I honestly think it’s a profoundly more true and powerful book than Gatsby ever will be. His effortless and visceral writing tells a story of such complex and accurate human relationships, I often find myself reflecting on Dick Diver as a friend I should check up on, and part of me thinks I spent a year of my youth hanging out on the French Riviera having too much to drink…”
‘West of Sunset’ by Stewart O’Nan—the Fitzgerald story that just ‘slayed’ Strout
Strout is a huge fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald! This historical fiction novel—which Strout also listed as a must-read—transports readers to 1937 and centers on F. Scott Fitzgerald as his success plummets and he tries to become a screenwriter in Hollywood. With glitzy Jazz Age flashbacks, the plot follows him as he arrives on the MGM lot, falls in love with a gossip columnist and attempts to maintain a family life with the absent Zelda and their daughter, Scottie. Brimming with haunting and graceful prose, O’Nan traces the last few years of Fitzgerald’s life.
What Strout said about it: “It is a fictionalized account of the last few years of Scott Fitzgerald’s life, and that book just slayed me,” she told Elle. “It was gorgeous and true and gave me a deeper understanding of all that man had suffered; boy, did I love that book. I still do.”
What other readers are saying: “This book is a novelization of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final years as he struggled to make a living as a screenwriter in Hollywood in the late 1930’s in order to pay for his daughter’s education and his wife Zelda’s prolonged stay in a mental hospital. During this period he also fell in love with Sheila Graham. Even though I knew the story of Scott and Zelda, I kept wishing he could have a happier ending. It was a very well written book that made it easy to empathize with Scott. I really enjoyed the book.”
‘Lucy Gayheart’ by Willa Cather—the book that brought Strout to tears
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Willa Cather, revered for her vivid portraits of life on the American prairie, gave readers Lucy Gayheart in 1935—and it’s a captivating story of ambition, love and the cost of leaving home. This story follows Lucy, an 18-year-old woman, who leaves her small Nebraska town for Chicago to pursue her passion for music. Here, she becomes captivated by an older, charismatic singer. As Lucy navigates the thrills of new possibilities and the lows of heartbreak, Cather explores themes of fleeting innocence and the ongoing pull between where we come from and where we hope to go.
What Strout said about it: “When Lucy died, I was so sad! But here’s the thing: Then I read a biography of Willa Cather and I found out that she wrote to a friend about writing that book and she said she had to kill off the character because she found her so tiresome!” she told Elle. “Oh, that put me off—I mean I wish I had never read that part in her biography; I wish she had never said it because I loved that Lucy.”
What other readers are saying: “I adored this book for so many reasons. I love Willa Cather’s style of writing, it seems almost like poetry. This book tells the story of Lucy Gayheart. She was a unique girl, a free spirit, who saw the great beauty and glory of life. This book broke my heart more than once. I found at the end I wanted to start it again, so I could recapture those feelings this book created. I highly recommend this book to anyone. I was already a fan of Willa Cather, but now I love her work even more.”
‘Mrs. Dalloway’ by Virginia Woolf—the book that Strout rereads the most
Virginia Woolf, one of the most celebrated voices of modernist literature, brings such beauty to the ordinary moments of everyday life—much like Strout does in her novels Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again. In Mrs. Dalloway, a single day unfolds in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a London socialite preparing to host an evening party. As she moves through the city and reflects on her past, old loves and the choices that altered her life, Woolf offers a tender portrait of memory, identity and life.
What Strout said about it: “The book I’ve reread the most: Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. I used to read it every few years since I first read it in college. I think I am finally done with it now though.
What other readers are saying: “Mrs. Dalloway is nearly overwhelming in scope despite the tiny package and seemingly singular advancements of plot. Seamlessly moving between the minds and hearts of each character with a prose that soars to the stratosphere, Woolf presents an intensely detailed portrait of post-war Europe and the struggles of identity found within us all. While it can be demanding at times, asking for your full cooperation and attention…this is one of the most impressive and inspiring novels I have ever read.”
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