As the titular character, Olive Kitteridge is the protagonist of the novel; she makes an appearance in every chapter, though some chapters focus entirely on Olive and her immediate family, while others feature her only in the background. As a former Crosby math teacher, Olive taught many of the town’s inhabitants. Of those who were not in her class, she typically knows (and likely taught) one of their family members.

Olive is blunt and often contemptuous, and her moods can change dramatically and suddenly. As many characters discover throughout the book, she can be a difficult person to know. The numerous tragedies that beset Olive’s life compound her struggles with her own mental health. Her father died by suicide when she was young; her son has depression, eventually confessing suicidal thoughts himself, before moving far away; and her husband ultimately has a stroke that renders him unresponsive before he dies. In many respects, the later stages of Olive’s life are defined by those she loves and loses.

Henry Kitteridge, Olive’s husband, is an important fixture in Olive’s life. At the moment the audience is first introduced to Olive (through the