Lucy by the Sea

Lucy Barton, a well-loved character of other Elizabeth Strout novels, returns to share her experiences during lockdown as she travels from her apartment in New York and its memories of her deceased husband to the coastal regions of Maine with her first husband and now aged friend William. As the two of them adjust not only to living with each other again, but the reality of a world-wide pandemic, we're treated to Strout's sparse, evocative prose. There are appearances by people we've grown to love – Lucy's daughters, old friends, even Olive Ketteridge has a cameo as Lucy shares thoughts, memories, and conversations and grapples with her new reality. If you're a fan of Strout's authentic, timely writing style, this one will not disappoint. It looks at the once-in-a-lifetime COVID experience with honesty, introspective and humility.

My thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.