I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Elizabeth Strout is one of those writers that you either love or hate. Her dry style, where characters' emotions are usually revealed (even to them) after the event, means that some might view her characters as detached from others. In reality her characters, like Lucy, are highly contemplative. In Oh William!, the third title in her Amagash series, Lucy ponders her marriage to her first husband, William, following the death of her second husband and the end of William's third marriage.

Lucy's background is a painful one as described in My Name is Lucy Barton and alluded to in this entry. How she managed to be a sane although a somewhat standoffish person is partially because of her marriage to William and their two now adult daughters. As a successful memoirist Lucy is quite adept at examining her own feelings and with the passage of time can look at her marriage with a discerning eye. William has some painful incidents from his childhood and is rocked by a revelation about his long-deceased mother. What Strout does extraordinarily well is capture these threads from a character's childhood and draw them through a lifetime. A small inconsequential moment becomes an unexpected but intimate revelation for all.

Thank you to NetGalley for this golden opportunity to read Oh William! Elizabeth Stout is a Junoesque writer and the Lucy Barton series is just Junoesque.

Oh William! follows My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible, and is third in the series and it isn't my favorite in the Lucy Barton series, But this book is pretty much perfect. Elizabeth Stout has such a way with words, I think Elizabeth is magnificent.

We’re back in Lucy Barton’s head (and what a treat that is) Lucy joins her first husband William — still each other’s best and oldest friend despite many years divorced.

The third volume in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash Series, Oh William! follows My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible, and while I may not have found this to be quite as impactful as the first two in the series, I did find it gentle and thoughtful and a lovely way to spend a couple of afternoons. We’re back in Lucy Barton’s head, and what a fraught place that is to be as Lucy joins her first husband William — still each other’s best and oldest friend despite many years divorced — as William navigates a pair of disruptive circumstances; and whether they are travelling together or picking up the phone to call the other the moment something significant happens in either of their lives, Lucy and William are frequently confronted with hard pearls of truth about themselves (as offered by the person who knows them best in the world) or they are forced to revisit and reevaluate memories from the past. Everything about this novel feels true to life — particularly the unedited storytelling style that Lucy employs as she attempts to explain what she means at every moment (and I’d imagine it takes a lot of editing to make that voice seem so natural and spontaneous) — and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Another magnificent book by Elizabeth Strout. Oh William! Is the third novel she has centered on the character Lucy Barton (My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible are the earlier titles) And somehow it both stands alone - one does not have to have read the others to enjoy this new work - and at the same time brings a fullness to everything readers have come to know about Lucy if they have read of her before. This is Strout at her finest - keenly observed characters, a sense of place that is so real that you feel your skin crawl or grow warm as she describes various settings, and an arc that is beautiful and unexpected. This book will sweep you along, make you think, and stay with you in the best possible way. Perfect for book clubs, sharing with friends,, or when you need a wonderful read to curl up with on a crisp autumn day.

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this story. Nice to read a book where the main characters aren’t 30 somethings. An interesting dissection of a marriage, divorce and the relationship after. I kept thinking, forget about William, “Oh, Lucy”!

Love this author! Her insight into relationships is deeply moving and realistic. Her characters very relatable and likable, quirky flaws and all.

Absolutely loved Oh William! I thought the story was more engaging than Lucy Barton although it was nice to understand more backstory while reading the second book. I don’t think you need to read Lucy Barton to enjoy Oh William.