The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past,” stated William Faulkner. In Elizabeth Strout’s insightful book The Burgess Boys, Strout creates a tragic and compelling story about three adult siblings who have not dealt with their past. Strout deftly explores their adult selves and the unconscious emotional wounds that they buried in their younger selves and dominated their psychological development as they aged.

Set in the late 2000's, Jim and Bobby Burgess live in New York City, while their sister Susan remains in their hometown of Shirley Falls, Maine. The three siblings have different education backgrounds, income levels, and marital situations. They function as adults, yet their emotional and psychological lives feel stunted, and for good reason.

(Spoiler Alert) In their youth, the three siblings were present during a horrible tragedy that resulted in the death of their father. It appears they never processed the event. Too much guilt and pain. Their lives have been affected by the events of that day. To varying degrees they feel self-doubt, alienation and disconnection in their adult lives. They overcompensate and project their feelings into other aspects of their lives. It is hard stuff. 

When Susan’s son Zach is arrested, Jim and Bobby return to Shirley Falls to assist them. The crisis serves as a catalyst and the siblings begin to gingerly unpack their collective baggage and exorcise their demons. Strout creates a powerful, moving and restrained story. Though I would have liked a more cathartic ending, one that involved more talking and understanding, I think Strout’s depiction is realistic. By the end of the book, I stopped seeing these siblings as adults, and viewed them instead as three young children trapped in a narrative from which they might finally escape.