The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Last updated: 13 October 2026

What happens in The Things We Never Say

Artie Dam teaches history at a high school. He corrects his students' casual cruelties, goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades and takes his sailboat out on Massachusetts Bay at weekends. From the outside, his life looks settled.

Inside, though, he feels cut off from everyone around him. He keeps asking himself how people can know so little about each other, even the ones closest to them. Then he finds out something about his own life that he never knew, and it forces him to rethink the relationships he cares about most. The publisher keeps the secret back, and so will I.

The Booker Prize 2026 shortlist

The Booker Prize announced its 2026 shortlist of six novels on 22 September 2026. The Things We Never Say is one of them, alongside Rebecca Perry's May We Feed the King and Douglas Stuart's John of John. The judges called Strout's book "a devastating look at the dangerous cracks in family life and in the contemporary world at large".

The winner is named on 9 November, so you will know whether it won before you wrap it. The full shortlist is in the Booker Prizes announcement.

Who Elizabeth Strout is

Strout is an American novelist who lives in Maine. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Olive Kitteridge, and her other books include My Name is Lucy Barton, Oh William! and Olive, Again. According to Penguin's page for the book, she has been nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Orange Prize and the Booker Prize before.

Key facts

• Author: Elizabeth Strout
• Publisher: Viking, an imprint of Penguin
• Published: 7 May 2026
• Format: hardback, 208 pages, about 20.5 x 13.8cm and 260g, the size of a small hardback novel
• ISBN: 9780241814307
• RRP: £18.99
• Paperback: Penguin lists a paperback for 2027

Who it suits as a gift

It suits anyone who has read Olive Kitteridge or the Lucy Barton books and wants the next one. At 208 pages, it is also a good choice for someone who likes literary fiction but rarely finishes long novels. And for a reader who follows the Booker each year, it is one of the six books they will want to have read before the winner is announced.

The limits

Not much happens on the surface for long stretches, because the book is about what goes on inside Artie's head. A reader who wants a plot that moves quickly may find it slow. There is also no paperback yet, so the only print edition to buy this Christmas is the £18.99 hardback.

Where to buy it in the UK

Amazon UK had the hardback at £14.45, in stock. Bookshop.org had it at £18.04, ready to despatch, and every order there supports independent bookshops. If the person you are buying for listens rather than reads, my audiobooks hub has every monthly round-up.

Buy from AmazonBuy from Bookshop.org

FAQs

What is The Things We Never Say about?

A history teacher who feels isolated from the people around him discovers a secret about his own life, and has to rethink his closest relationships.

Is The Things We Never Say on the Booker Prize shortlist?

Yes. It is one of six novels on the Booker Prize 2026 shortlist, announced on 22 September 2026. The winner is named on 9 November.

How much does The Things We Never Say cost?

The RRP is £18.99. On 13 October 2026, Amazon UK had the hardback at £14.45 and Bookshop.org at £18.04.

Is there a paperback?

Not yet. Penguin lists a paperback edition for 2027.

More from CoolCuration

• Ulysses by James Joyce: the plot, the editions and the UK price of the novel that takes a whole day.
• Book of the Month: one book a month, read properly, with every pick so far.
• The greatest books of all time: more than 600 rankings boiled down into one list.
• Audible UK: the current plan prices and what each one gets you.

We are proud supporters of a safer more private internet via encouraging people to use Brave browser and are actively taking on Spammers as part of ProjectHoneypot. This site is hosted on servers that run on 100% renewable energy in the UK thanks to GreenWebHosting.

This site contains affiliate links, including to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for a service via these links, at no extra cost to you. All offers and promotions are accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change or withdrawal by the businesses featured. We cannot guarantee their continued availability. Read our full affiliate disclosure.

Reviews and opinions on CoolCuration reflect the personal experience of our writers at the time of publication. They are not professional endorsements and your experience may differ. Scores use our Cool Factor rating system and are given independently of any commercial relationship.

All content on CoolCuration is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations or an endorsement of any product or service. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and do not offer personalised financial guidance. You should always do your own research or consult a qualified financial advisor before making any financial decisions.