Notes from the Porch: Tiny True Stories to Make You Feel Better about the World

Book excerpt: “Covid-19 stole so much. But one of the things it couldn’t steal was the power of stories.” From the author of the international bestseller The Headmaster's Wife and other novels comes a collection of essays written during the Covid-19 pandemic while the author sheltered in place in his tiny Vermont town. While in isolation, he observed a small town at its best: neighbors helping neighbors, the joys of gardening, the pleasure of a small boy riding his bike, and walks in the park with his dog Hugo. Childhood memories and stories of family life are intertwined, and what the reader gains is a sense of community, family, and belonging. “​​I sat on my porch, and thought about how small my world had become,” writes Greene. His world, and these stories, may be small, but they show us how grand the human capacity for love; how love is greater than the ills that befall us. In Notes from the Porch Greene's capacity for true storytelling is at its finest, and it’s a great gift to us all.