Anytime you pick up a novel by Elizabeth Strout, you are sure to learn more about the inner life of we humans. MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON is no exception. Awarded four stars on Goodreads and a New York Times bestseller. Note: This is the first in a three-novel series by Strout, named Amgash.
I picked this book up after finishing Strout’s newer OH, WILLIAM (Book #3 in the series) – which is about Lucy Barton’s relationship with her husband, William. This book, about a time early in her marriage, sheds light on Lucy’s family of origin and upbringing, with a primary focus on a period when Lucy was ill and hospitalized – and her estranged mother came to visit. The two sit together, alone, for days – trying to connect.
It is SUCH a truly touching story. About a daughter’s lifelong yearning for parental love and about a mother’s limitations in expressing emotion. Always believable and true to life, Strout’s multi-dimensional characters show us that we simply CAN’T always get what we want. But sometimes, if we work really hard, we CAN make peace with something less.
It’s a short, fast read — told in an episodic style — a bit sad, and very emotional. This is book #1 in a three novel series called Amgash, but stands alone too.
More about the author, Elizabeth Strout.
You may be interested in my reviews of other books by Elizabeth Strout:
Anything is Possible (Book #2 in the Amgash series)
Oh, William! (Book #3 in Amgash series)
Toby A. Smith 