I was not a fan of this book. I found it hard to get into, the characters felt one-dimensional, and I thought it was strange that a divorced couple was still that close. I got about halfway before giving up.

I love Elizabeth Strout's writing and have read every one of her books beginning with Amy and Isabelle. Oh William, part of the Lucy Barton trilogy, did not disappoint. In fact, I found it brilliant, one of her very best novels. It will certainly reside inside me for a very long time.

Lucy Barton is the narrator of this novel. She is a writer living in Manhattan, the successful author of several books. Her second husband, David, has recently died and she is grieving and lonely.. Her first husband is William, the father of her two daughters is good friend still, despite their divorce. When he asks her for help in solving a family mystery she can't help but oblige him.

The novel is filled with Lucy's observations of human behavior and her belief in the uniqueness and mythology of every being. She is amazingly resilient, having survived a brutal and traumatic childhood. Just as research supports, she received love and mentorship from a woman outside her family at a critical time in her life. This enabled her to further her education and believe in the possibility of being loved. This alone sparked her resilient spirit and allowed her to surmount her past. It felt like she has post-traumatic stress disorder as she is triggered by memories of the past and shows other symptoms of this disorder. Despite this, her character thrives above the horrors she has experienced.

I love Lucy and wish I could have the privilege of knowing her in real life. Something tells me that she is very dear to Ms. Strout and I can see why. Lucy is a unique and insightful person, much more than a literary character. She reminds me of a very realistic portrait where you can see the subject's eyes from every vantage point. Thank you, Ms. Strout for sharing Lucy with me. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for allowing me the pleasure of reading this wonderful novel.

I loved this book. It was almost a book about nothing and everything all at once. Life, love, our pasts, our families, our mistakes.

Lucy narrates the story of her ex-husband, William, with whom she is still very close. As she weaves the tale of their lives together during their marriage and after, we get to know not only their relationship but them as individuals. We learn why they split up, about each of their pasts, idiosyncrasies of their current friendship, and details about William’s mother’s past. I particularly enjoyed the story about Catherine, William’s mother and their quest to find her truth.

This book is the third in a series and admittedly, I have not read the others. Lucy certainly alluded to things about her past that were likely the basis for one of the other books and her traumatic history certainly sounded painful and like it would make for a great book. That being said, I do believe not reading the prior books didn’t take away from my experience or enjoyment of this novel.

I listened to this book and Farr was an excellent narrator. Her voice is incredibly soothing and she had the perfect rhythm and cadence for this tale. I felt like I was sitting down with my grandmother hearing her stories over tea.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel and I’ll be curious to read the first two in the series!

Did not get to read this book in 2021 and already have so many titles in 2022 to read. This sounded wonderful.
The low rating is not a reflection of the work, but rather indicating that this was bumped from my TBR in replacement of other titles.

Oh, William, by Elizabeth Strout, is the story of writer Lucy Barton. Along with her first husband, William, Lucy is looking for answers to a family secret. In Oh, William, Strout has crafted a well-written novel about forgiveness, betrayal, loneliness, acceptance, and truth.

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

It was really hard to get into this book. It was pretty slow moving, and I forgot a sequel to Lucy Barton.. I think if you read the first book, you will probably get more out of this. 2.5

This was emotional and touching. Lucy is talking and telling the story of her life with her ex husband William. The story of their childhoods, their marriage, and their relationship today. As she talks honestly about her thoughts about William, she describes the bond that they still share to this day after everything they have been through. Author Elizabeth Strout writes words that one can relate to and see themselves. She weaves together words about life.

This book was just okay for me, I wasn't obsessed but the writing was good! Just not my go to genre.

Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge books were some of my favorites, but her Lucy Barton books aren't connecting in the same way. Oh, William feels like a conversation, a one-sided conversation with no real plot to speak of. I think you have to be in the right mood, in the right state of mind, to enjoy this book. I couldn't connect with Lucy and with this type of structure, connecting with the character is imperative to your enjoyment of the book. With so many rave reviews it feels odd to give it a "thumbs down" but perhaps it's just proof that not every book is for everyone.

Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me an early copy to review.

This is a lovely book about the human element. It combines everything I have come to expect from Elizabeth Strout. It was good to have Lucy Barton back. Older with a life well lived. But this book is about William, and relationships that span lifetimes. A tribute to those we love and those who love is back despite the major time of them in our life has passed. Reflections on past time spent together, reworking of our actions and sharing intimate secrets. Life changing major secrets. A wonderful book that makes me happy to be alive. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I started reading this book I didn't realize it was a trilogy. I thought it was well written but I really couldn't fully get into it not knowing the previous books. I would like to read the first two and then come back and revise my review.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Lucy Barton is a writer, mother, and ex-wife to William. Lucy is easy going and always puts herself last. Sometimes when you put yourself last you find that at the end of the day your alone. Lucy has found memories of growing up and Ms.Nash caring for her just like she would expect a mother to do, if she had one. Taking her shopping and picking out pretty items she knows Lucy needed always left a lasting impression and as an adult she wishes she could've expressed this gratitude to Ms.Nash. Both Lucy and William went on to remarry and both single again around the same time. Lucy's husband passed and Williams wife left him. Somehow to William his loss is more significant, and he expects Lucy to help him get through it, and because Lucy is a giving person she will do just that. She loves her daughters and even though she's not in love with William he is the father of her girls and will always be a part of her life. So when William asks her to accompany him on a trip to discover people from his past of course Lucy agrees. The trip will be eye opening for both Lucy and William and Lucy will go home with more courage and awareness for herself.
I loved Lucy's character and what a genuine person the author created in her. The story flowed nicely and I loved every time Lucy said "Oh William".

Another winner by Elizabeth Strout. A continuation of the story of Lucy Barton and her life as married to William and her subsequent divorce from William.

I didn't realise before starting this that it was the third in a series, however, it didn't impact my ability to follow this one.

I was drawn into this straight away, I enjoyed learning about Lucy and William's relationship despite the divorce, and their journey to uncover his family's secret. However, parts became so repetitive (for example, "Oh Pillie") that I began to get irritated by it. The ending was also underwhelming... it wasn't an ending so much as it just stopped. and I was left feeling very underwhelmed..

Thank you to the publisher for the digital review copy.

Thanks to #netgalley we have #ohwilliam by #elizabethstrout #randomhouse #randomhousepublishinggroup this is a short book packed with so much substance. You will feel like you and Lucy are sitting together having a chat. There are beautiful and happy moments mixed together. As Lucy rambles about life. What is. What was. This is (I think) the final book in the #amgashseries pick it up. Get lost in these peoples lives. #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #netgalleyreview #oholive #reading #bookrecommendations

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. It was somewhat of an emotional character study told by a woman about her ex-husband, William. She explores their relationship in both past and present, their marriages in between, their kids, and more. I love this author's writing style and it truly felt like a friend was telling me this story. This was a great piece of literary fiction. Can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another outstanding book in the series that begin with Olive Kitteridge. Elizabeth Strout is a master of character development and it was such a joy to reach this. It reminded me of running into an old friend and picking up like no time had passed.

I think I may have enjoyed this story more If I had read the previous one. I hadn't realized it was in a trilogy before reading it. I felt like the story bounced around too much, and I had a hard time really pulling in and connecting to the characters. In the future, I will pay more attention to whether a book is a standalone so that I can give a better, more fair, review.

Lucy Barton is my favorite of Elizabeth Strout’s characters. She speaks the truth and figures out how to solve her problems. This is a short, quick read that will give you a lot to think about. I love the layers of the lovely story.

Lucy Barton's ex-husband has asked her to accompany him on a trip. While on this trip, Lucy recalls past events, rehashing the ups and downs of her life. I enjoy stories like this, about relationship and family dynamics, how life can be messy and complex. I've never read any of Elizabeth Strout's books, which I realize is silly given this is the third in the series, but I'm here to say this can be read as a stand-alone! I really enjoyed it!