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.

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.