 Born and raised in Portland, Maine, her experiences in her youth served as inspiration for her novels–the fictional "Shirley Falls, Maine" is the setting of four of her seven novels.Strout's first novel, "Amy and Isabelle" (1998) met with widespread critical acclaim, became a national bestseller, and was adapted into a movie starring Elisabeth Shue.Her second novel, "Abide with Me" (2006), received critical acclaim but ultimately failed to be recognized to the extent of her debut novel.