Elizabeth Strout has been a prominent voice in mainstream literary fiction since the publication of her first novel, Amy and Isabelle (1998), which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize. In it, Strout introduces the world of Shirley Falls, Maine and the surrounding area, including the nearby town of Crosby. Strout’s most well-known book, Olive Kitteridge, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009; this novel and Olive, Again (2019) are also set in the same area in Maine. Most recently, Strout has published a series of books known as the Amgash series, featuring Lucy Barton.

Tell Me Everything is the fifth book in Strout’s Amgash series, which also includes My Name Is Lucy Barton (2016), Anything is Possible (2017), Oh, William! (2021), and Lucy By the Sea (2022). It is called the Amgash series because the protagonist, Lucy Barton, is originally from the small rural town of Amgash, Illinois. The settings of the various books range between Illinois, New York, and Maine. In My Name Is Lucy Barton, Lucy’s mother visits, which spurs Lucy’s exploration of her family history and relationships with her parents.