The Things We Never Say: Secrets, Silence and Free Will
On Sunday 11th October 2026, we gathered once again to discuss our Book of the Month, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout.
Strout is one of the most celebrated writers working today. A Pulitzer Prize winner, she has a rare gift for finding the extraordinary in ordinary lives, and for writing about people with a tenderness that stays with you long after the final page. The Things We Never Say is her eleventh novel, and it has been shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize, her second time on the shortlist after Oh William! in 2022. The winner is announced on 9th November.
The novel follows Artie Dam, a history teacher in a small coastal town in Massachusetts, set against the backdrop of the 2024 US election. From the outside his life looks settled: a marriage of three decades, good friends, weekends out on his sailboat. Inside, he feels increasingly isolated, looking out at a world that seems to have lost its way and asking himself the same question again and again: how is it that we know so little about one another, even the people closest to us? When Artie discovers that life has been keeping a secret from him, he is forced to rethink the relationships he holds most dear.
It made for a rich conversation. We talked about the secrets families keep and the silences that settle between people over decades, about grief and friendship, and about the question of free will, and how much of our lives we really choose. Inevitably, the conversation also turned to the state of the world right now, which felt fitting for a book so rooted in its moment.
To keep the conversation flowing, we also played Truth or Bluff Bingo, a game inspired by the book, where everyone had to find people in the room to match each square, with the option to bluff along the way. A lighthearted way to test how well we really read the people around us.
It was a lovely afternoon spent together, talking about books, ideas and everything in between.
This gathering was in partnership with Virgin Hotels and Hidden Grooves. Thank you to Chrome Horse Society Tequila for their continued support of our literary events.
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout is published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin.
Looking forward to the next gathering.
See you inside, Alex Latte x
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