Elizabeth Strout's novel, Abide with Me, is set in a small town in Maine in the 1950s, where the Reverend Tyler Caskey is on top of the world. He feels overwhelmed by the love of God, his socialite wife, Lauren, and two young daughters. Tyler appears oblivious to Lauren's unhappiness over his low salary, the absence of like-minded friends, and their dilapidated parsonage situated out in the middle of nowhere.1

As is typical of the 1950s, the church serves as a significant gathering place in the life of this community, providing residents with one of the few opportunities to get out of the house and socialize. Against a backdrop of bomb shelters and nuclear apprehension, the church provides a place of sanctuary and security in an era wrought with unrest.

Life in New England is a struggle,…