# The Things We Never Say

Artie Dam teaches history at a high school, where he challenges his students' thoughtless unkindness and offers encouragement to those who need it most. He has been married for thirty years, makes small talk at holiday parties, and sails on Massachusetts Bay at weekends. Inside, he feels deeply alone and keeps asking how people can know so little about one another. Then he learns that life has been keeping a secret from him.

This standalone novel by Elizabeth Strout, the Pulitzer-winning author shortlisted for the Booker Prize, follows grief that carries across decades, the comfort of deep friendship and the relief of letting secrets go. It will suit readers who have wondered what goes unsaid between the people they love.

## Books in this series (1)

- Vol. 1 — [The Things We Never Say](https://mybookbandits.com/books/9781405989091) (ISBN 9781405989091)

---

Browse this series at [MyBookBandits](https://mybookbandits.com/series/the-things-we-never-say-shortlisted-for-the-booker-prize-2026).