This is the third book in the Amgash series. While the author is a prize winner, I found this book sad and a bit dull. If you want to find out more about Lucy & William go for it. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

In Oh William!, author Elizabeth Strout once again immerses the reader in the world of Lucy Barton, a late-middle aged writer living in New York City who has just lost her second husband. Following My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible, this third installment of the Amgash Series finds Lucy reconnecting with her first husband William, from whom she is long-since divorced but still on friendly terms, partly for the sake of their two adult daughters. The story, which is related entirely from Lucy’s point of view, involves her helping William investigate and process a major, unsettling revelation regarding his family upbringing. Along the way, Lucy’s introspective nature also uncovers a great many truths from her own past that she has yet to face.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, although perhaps not quite as much as some of the author’s past work. The writing was certainly splendid; it was very impressive how deeply we were able to get inside Lucy’s head and experience all of the joy, fear, angst, hope, and regret of this complex and thoughtful character. Also, the plot, which was not always the primary focus of the work, contained enough twists and surprises to keep things interesting until the end. On the other hand, there were parts of the tale that were repetitious—for instance, basic facts about some of the characters were repeated unnecessarily—and far too frequently Lucy said something to the effect of “I’ve already written about this before, so I’m not going to say it again here,” which only served as a reminder that this book should probably not be read as a stand-alone project. Nevertheless, this was a satisfying story and one that I can easily recommend.

Finally, it is hard for me to resist the urge to compare the character of Lucy Barton with that of Olive Kitteridge, who is another fully formed creation from Strout’s remarkable imagination. Of course, the two characters differ greatly in most meaningful ways: Olive is a curmudgeonly busy body who cannot seem to get out of her own way, while Lucy is often inwardly focused to the point where she feels invisible at the same time she is loved by everyone around her. For me, Olive represents the more fascinating and compelling portrayal, but I find Lucy’s voice to be deeply affecting as well. The fact that both characters came from the heart and mind of the same writer is simply amazing.

Elizabeth Strout is a master of character development and exploring relationships between characters. In this novel Lucy Barton has just lost her husband David and her ex, William, invites her to go on a trip with him to find out about a sister that he never knew. While Strout explores the complexities of their relationship and their relationships with other family members, I felt at times I was in the midst of the Forest Gump movie. There were just too many colloquialisms. I know these can be used to make the characters endearing and relatable, but it was just too much for me.
For fans of Strout, this will be a good read, and while I've enjoyed her other books, this just did not resonate with me.

The lives surrounding Lucy Barton continue, told in her own voice, which means that of the wise and perceptive Elizabeth Strout who provides such cleareyed assessments. Lucy is in mourning for her second husband who has been gone for a year now, when her first husband, with whom she maintains a cordial relationship, reaches out to her to investigate a family secret that has come to light thanks to one of those "online heredity sites." I could read her forever. Peripheral characters from The Burgess Boys make fleeting appearances, but I hope that Lucy continues and this isn't merely a trilogy.

Not my favorite of this trilogy…..but I enjoyed it.
The beginning was FANTASTIC - hooked instantly!
It slowly started to go downhill at William‘s 70th birthday party.
Too much too soon with Lucy‘s judgment of what people were wearing, of speeches given, and the guests who attended.
I like to see Lucy use her critical voice for things much more directly relevant to her, than to who was wearing what, or gave the best birthday speech.
There was something lost in Lucy‘s voice that I deeply cherished from her in last two books.

I don’t think it matters what I say…. or what I rate this.
Elizabeth Strout fans will read it!
I hope readers DO LOVE IT!

Elizabeth Strout is enmesh with relationships. I like that quality myself - and value the type of introspective writing she contributes to the world. Ordinary people - whose lives matter!!
Her humanity as a writer, and a person, comes through beautifully.
That said- the ‘content’ - storytelling - of ‘this’ tale didn’t interest me as much as her other books.

I still have a warm heart for this lovely author.

I’m not fully sure what the ultimate purpose was for this ‘entire’ book …. I felt it was a little bit disjointed to be honest.
But here are a couple treasures that had me giggling.

“Your khakis are too short and it depresses the hell out of me. Jesus, William, you look like a ‘dork’”.


Oh William, I thought. Oh William”
“He looked exhausted; there were darkish circles around his eyes. He said ‘Hi Button’ and sat down next to me. He had with him a small suitcase with wheels, it was dark brown, too toned. I understood that it was expensive. He looked at my wheelie suitcase which was a blazing violent color, and he said, ‘Really?’”

Many thanks to Random House, Netgalley, and Elizabeth
Strout for the privilege of this advance copy.

3.5 rating
> rating UP ….. for the love that Elizabeth is and her body of work in general.

Elizabeth Strout has written another brilliant novel.Lucy Barton & William long divorced embark on a road trip that will reveal long hidden secrets and truth about their relationship. Absolutely loved this character driven novel s I’ve loved all the authors novels.#netgalley#randomhouse

A beautifully written novel. A long divorced couple journey together to unearth a family secret and along the way we discover the many ways people remain entwined in so many ways in spite of years of separation. Well done!

Lucy remains in touch with her ex-husband, William, long after they have separated due to his inability to stay faithful. When William gets a DNA kit as a gift to map his genealogy, he discovers that his mother may have had another family before he was born. He asks Lucy to come and investigate this with him.

I'm really upset to find that this wasn't for me. The story. The writing. The characters. None of it. I just couldn't get into it. I kept glancing down to see how much percent I have left. I HATE to DNF books, but I nearly had to with this one. Every now and again, there would be one sentence where the author did perfectly explain an emotion and I thought "yea, I've totally felt that way before". For the most part though, these characters were unrelatable and the dialouge was so curt and bland that it was hard for me to "know" any of the characters. I get that this was the writing style that the author chose, but it was just so...meh.

I want to thank Netgalley and Random House for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had high expectations for this book and I was not disappointed. I’ve read Elizabeth Strout’s other books about Lucy – she is older than me this time but still so relatable. I’m honestly not sure I could describe exactly why this story is so immersive and so satisfying. I know I love being in the character’s head because I spend a lot of time in my own. I enjoy the sense of place, but it adds to the feeling without upstaging the characters. The pacing isn’t fast but feels like life. And the ending feels right without trying to tie everything up. Honestly, I really loved this one -- even more than the first Lucy books and surprisingly even more than Olive. I appreciate the early copy from Net Galley and Random House and look forward to writing reviews.

I have read everything ES has ever written and have enjoyed them all. This was no exception. Not only was this book good but it reminded me of her other ones and how well she writes.

I have adored all of Elizabeth Strout’s novels! Her latest novel Oh William! Is the third installment in the Amgash series and to say I was thrilled to read this gem would be an understatement! Lucy Barton is one of favorite characters, so I was happy to once again dive into her world.

Oh, William! centers around Lucy and her ex-husband, William. The pair divorced years ago, but have remained friends. As Lucy helps William through major life revelations, she recollects her upbringing and how that ultimately effected her life.

I love Elizabeth Strout’s writing style and this novel had me at hello! I really enjoyed how Oh, William! deepens my understanding of these endearing characters. Although this is the third book in this series, it can completely be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this 5 star novel and truly cannot wait to read what Elizabeth comes out with next!

I was very excited about this book because I loved "My Name is Lucy Barton," and "Anything is Possible." And "Oh William!" feels like a pretty seamless continuation to Lucy's story.

If you've read this series, you already know that what makes these books so good is not necessarily the plot, but the uniqueness of Lucy Barton's voice, her sharp intuition, and her astute observations of universal experiences which we all face.

I will say that "Oh William!" did not have quite the same impact on me as "My Name is Lucy Barton," but that is likely because I'm already quite accustomed to the unique steam-of-consciousness-type narrative that Lucy so effectively employs in this series. These books are so easy to read because the writing seems almost effortless. I devoured this book over a weekend and greatly enjoyed it.

At first glance, this book is about Lucy accompanying her first husband William on a journey to sort out some deeply personal and troubling family issues. And although the book definitely spends time exploring this plot line, the book is more about how even damaged relationships can sustain us if we hold onto what was right about them rather than focusing on what was wrong. "Oh William!" also deeply explores the threads of family, even when "family" must be redefined. It also focuses on aging and loss (with sometimes heartbreaking, brutal honestly.)

I'm enjoyed savoring this book. Because as always, I am left mesmerized by Lucy's deeply introspective observations. Few series peel back the layers of the human condition the way that this one does. If you love Lucy Barton, I think you will greatly enjoy "Oh William!" I am grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The brilliant Elizabeth Strout is my favorite contemporary author. I keep waiting for her to write a dud, but it certainly isn't Oh, William. I loved every moment of this book. I felt like a was sitting in a coffee shop with Lucy Barton as she told me this story. It has a stream-of-consciousness feel to it, with Lucy occasionally dropping in little asides about something else that has popped into her mind. It's a lovely book that I didn't want to end!

Oh Elizabeth! You've done it again - written a memorable story and sent me back to make surely I haven't missed another one.

Elizabeth Strout writes perfectly about our common human imperfections. She creates characters who are so realistic that it’s just so natural to understand what they are feeling or thinking, even if their experiences are different from ours. Lucy Barton is one of those so real characters and she’s back. If you enjoyed [book:My Name Is Lucy Barton|25893709] and [book:Anything Is Possible|32080126], this is a must read. It continues Lucy’s story later in her life when she’s in her sixties and unlike the first two which are connected stories, this one is a novel. Lucy tells us in the beginning of the book that this story is about her ex husband William, but it’s soon apparent that it’s also about Lucy and the people in her life and by the end of the book, we know it’s about all of us, really, as Stout beautifully reflects on what we recognize as true in life. I was drawn in immediately with Lucy’s introspective and intimate thoughts.

Lucy and William have been divorced for years, but have remained good friends who rely on each other, who can be brutally honest with each other, and still the tender closeness between them is touching. He asks for her help now as he struggles with changes in his life and trying to deal with a revelation about his mother’s past . Lucy, of course steps up and is there to help William forward, but that means going to the past, his mother’s as well as his. Lucy’s past is present here as well and it’s heartbreaking when she recounts her relationship with her mother, the abject poverty she came from, the traumatic experiences of her childhood, her divorce from William, and the death of her second husband. But somehow I felt the same uplifting feeling as in the other books in the series, knowing where Lucy has come to in her life given where she came from.

I love how she tells the story with caveats at times, with stunning honesty, so we always see the good and the bad of situations, what Lucy loves about people and what she doesn’t, things she doesn’t necessarily like about herself, her own fears and feelings of inadequacy at times . “I need to say this, though”. “But there is also this .” Without giving away William’s story as told by Lucy, I’ll just say that Lucy Barton is one of my favorite characters and Elizabeth Stout is one of my favorite writers . Strout dedicates this book to her husband “And to anyone who needs it - this if for you” . What a beautiful sentiment. What an extraordinary writer !


I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley.

Every time I read this author, I become more and more enamored with her writing. This latest installment felt like a heart-to-heart chat with a dear old friend. That is masterful storytelling! Perhaps my age makes her characters resonant more with me, but I don’t know how anyone could resist the pull of her style.

Elizabeth Strout has such an unusual voice that she is always a pleasure to read. It is the story of Lucy Barton and her ex-husband William. William was her first husband and why they ever separated and divorced is a mystery to me. Her second husband died and she is so sure that he was the love of her life. That's not how I read it. Sometimes we don't know what we have until it's too late. I loved the quirkiness of her writing and plots.

An exquisite novel, delicate and beautifully written about LUCY BARTON. Told in the first person, it is the story of LUCY describing her early life and helping her first husband sort out his own story. Lucy joins her ex-husband William to investigate family connections that have been unearthed by a DNA test.

As a follow-up to her earlier novel I AM LUCY BARTON,, this is a lovely analysis of her early life and her connection to WILLIAM, her first husband. She is especially vulnerable because her much loved second husband has passed away. It was hard to believe that this wasn’t a memoir, but a novel. Strout has such unique talent that I was totally engaged with LUCY and her past.

Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful opportunity to read and review a novel by the remarkable Elizabeth Strout.

I cannot believe I have lived what I thought was a full and rewarding life and yet I had somehow never read extraordinary author Elizabeth Strout. I had loved the TV adaptation of OLIVE KITTERIDGE but never picked up the book. Now I am headed to my local bookstore to buy everything Elizabeth has written. OH WILLIAM! Is a remarkably beautiful novel. The narrator Lucy Barton tells this story in the same way a lifelong friend tells you a breathtaking story that builds and builds until it reaches a perfect climax. This book is so wise and complex and funny and sad and surprising. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Brava, Elizabeth Strout. You now have a lifelong devoted fan.

Dear Ms. Strout is bringing back to Amgash series and author Lucy Burton with the third novel by taking us emotional journey about her ex husband William, the daughters they raised, her loss of her husbands,the career she built, confidence she gained, her walk down to the memory lane of her childhood.

It was so illuminating to hear a clear, real, genuine, natural voice talks with you honestly, sharing her memories, coming clean about her complex feelings, self critiquing about herself, her life choices and the realistic friendship she’s formed with her husband William for years even their marriage failed, her sincerity and the way she tells her story like you’re talking to her face to face while you’re sharing a bottle of wine easily help you to connect with her!

She’s getting through a lot... poverty, neglect, punishment, loneliness from her childhood... freedom, self discovery, experiencing new things at college and marriage with William...her relationship with her mother in law Catherine who mostly act so kind around her but also made her question about her self worth... the betrayal of her husband... the invisible wall she’s built around them... Stressful Cayman island trips, khaki shorts, disinterest about golf, losing the safety she felt for her husband...divorce...finding her own worth... learning to express herself via words...experiencing more relationships...helping William when he hits the bottom as like he helped him to get through the loss her husband... being one who is keeping his secrets for years...

Years have passed... they married with different people... they evolved, they changed, they got older but they were always for each other for the hardest times they’ve been getting through...

A honest, emotional, unique story is told by one of sincerest, direct storyteller Lucy Barton who is created by skillful Pulitzer Prize winner author!

Of course Olive will always be my favorite character she gave birth but this book helped me to resonate with Lucy Barton as well when I have a chance to know more about her!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.