EVENSONG (2025) - Review

EVENSONG
by Stewart O'Nan
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
On Sale: November 11, 2025
 

When I found Emily, Alone, I read it and fell in love with author Stewart O'Nan because his writing about the elderly so closely matched what I was experiencing. The fact that his characters inhabit Pittsburgh, where I lived for many years, counts heavily too. 

"Evensong", was a lovely title to pick up before the Christmas holidays. It doesn't take long to realize that each chapter is more like a short story and a reader of any age will recognize their own hopes and fears. 

FIRST LINE: "In 2022, Joan Hargrove falls down the stairs."

THE STORY: A group of older women in Pittsburgh called the "Humpty Dumpty Club," support each other through "aging, loss, and life's challenges", helping each other and navigating their own personal struggles.

WHAT I THOUGHT: O'Nan's writing is thoughtful and detail oriented. It's comforting, as a reader, to find that one is not alone. You can read the other books about the Maxwell family individually but it's not necessary. Wish You Were Here (2002) about Emily, followed by Emily, Alone (2011) focusing on Emily's widowhood, and concluding with Henry, Himself (2019).

VERDICT: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: A copy of Evensong was provided to me by Grove Atlantic / Atlantic Monthly Press / netgalley.com