Lucy Barton and her former husband, William, isolate themselves in a Maine cottage as Covid-19 sweeps across the world. All William wants is to save Lucy's life and those of his daughters.

Lucy, ever emotionally distant, is slow to understand the seriousness of the virus that took hold in early 2020, killing millions and sowing discord between "maskers" and "anti-maskers." William's impotence in the face of the virus is echoed in a personal medical revelation.

In the midst of the pandemic chaos, of course, is the police murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed.

Other authors have touched upon Covid-19 in books written during or immediately after the pandemic began. This is the first that I've read that focuses so heavily on the experience. In hindsight, Lucy's naive belief that the virus isn't serious seems foolhardy. However, I can barely recall the early days in which no one knew much about Covid-19, and people were just starting to die.

This review was shared on Goodreads and on Facebook groups Books & Brews and Blanket Forts too; Sixties Plus Reading Room; 52 Books; and Girls Who Love Books.

5★
“I walked around and around the house. I did not know where to put my mind.”

March 2020, Maine, USA
Lucy is by the sea in a big, older house that her ex-husband William has rented to whisk her away to escape the ravages of the coronavirus in New York City. I use the overworked phrase “whisk her away” because that is what it feels like.

He tells her to pack a bag, they are to leave immediately, and then he sweeps her out of her apartment, her home for the last many years that she shared with her adored late husband, David.

She and William, once married for twenty years, have two adult daughters whom William has already told of his plans. He advised them and their husbands to do the same, get out of the city.

“ ‘And don’t tell your mother yet, but please do this. I will deal with her.’ And so they hadn’t told me. Which is interesting because I feel that I am close to our girls, I would have said closer to them than William is.”

Lucy agrees to go. In the first few pages she says:

“Here is what I did not know that morning in March: I did not know that I would never see my apartment again. I did not know that one of my friends and a family member would die of this virus. I did not know that my relationship with my daughters would change in ways I could never have anticipated. I did not know that my entire life would become something new.”

She has said previously that William is the one who introduced her to the world (from her extremely poor background), and he has always made her feel safe. This is how she opens the book.

“Like many others, I did not see it coming.

But William is a scientist, and he saw it coming; he saw it sooner than I did, is what I mean.”

She had also accompanied him on a trip to Maine to follow up an ancestry search William had done about his mother, whom Lucy knew.

Lucy’s own horrific childhood was the subject of My Name Is Lucy Barton, with more family stories in Anything Is Possible. The story of the trip to Maine is told in Oh William!

You don’t need to have read these, but this will be more meaningful if you do. William is still bossy and irritating, while Lucy stays outwardly calm. Outwardly.

“Sometimes I would have to leave the house in the dark and walk down by the water, swearing out loud.”

When she feels overwhelmed, as I imagine we all have, she appeals in her mind to her ‘mother’, not her real, abusive, late mother.

“ ‘Mom,’ I cried inside myself to the nice mother I had made up, ‘Mom, I can’t do this’! And the nice mother I had made up said, You are really doing so well, honey. ‘But, Mom, I hate this!’ And she said, I know, honey. Just hang in there and it will end.

But it did not seem like it would end.”

[Note – Strout uses italics, but I added the single quotation marks around Lucy’s own internal speech because not all reviews recognise html formatting. Remarks from Lucy’s invented mother are not italicised in the original.]

Lucy notes the growing division in America, the masked and the unmasked, the protests and the police. This suggestion of civil war worries her. Waiting in the car in Maine while William is in a shop, she looks at the police cruiser parked next to them.

“I watched him so carefully.

So carefully I watched him.

I wondered, What is it like to be a policeman, especially now, these days? What is it like to be you?
. . .
In a way that is not uncommon for me as a writer, I sort of began to feel what it was like to be inside his skin. It sounds very strange, but it is almost as though I could feel my molecules go into him and his come into me.”

Lucy is speaking about molecules, of course, but it could just as well be Strout, I think, who so deftly puts us into Lucy’s mind. Seeing the Capitol riots on TV, Lucy remembers being humiliated and bullied in her childhood because she was dirty and smelly. She wonders, if this had continued all her life, what might have become of her?

“I suddenly felt that I saw what these people were feeling; they were like my sister, Vicky, and I understood them. They had been made to feel poorly about themselves, they were looked at with disdain, and they could no longer stand it.”

It’s no wonder that Lucy is an acclaimed writer. She understands people better than most and has genuine concern for them.

“Who knows why people are different? We are born with a certain nature, I think. And then the world takes its swings at us.”

Thanks to Pulitzer Prize-winner, Elizabeth Strout, we see how Lucy deals with the swings. I should add that it was nice to see Bob Burgess (from The Burgess Boys become good friends with Lucy and William. Other characters from other books get a mention, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the preview copy from which I have quoted, so quotations may have changed.

Lucy Barton is back in a fourth book and it didn't disappoint. This time the Covid-19 pandemic is front and center and actually gives the book more of a plot than the previous books. Once again there are enough reminders in the book for readers who have forgotten things about Lucy's life since the last book (or for those who haven't read a Lucy Barton book.) Of the books that I have read that take place during the pandemic, this is by far the best of them.

Although I enjoy Elizebeth Strouts work, I had a hard time with this book. The isolation she described during he pandemic really hit home and gave me an uneasy feeling. I was alone through the pandemic and also worried about my family and how to cope by myself. Lucy and her ex husband go off to Maine and isolate in hopes of avoiding sickness. Their past is studied and brought to light as the days go by.. Lucy is worried about her children and the effects it will have on the family. The story line was great and the emotions were presented realistically. The book is a continuation of her previous book “ Oh William” but can be read as a stand alone. This truly is an emotional ride.

This is a story that really resonated with me as Lucy lives through the first part of the pandemic and shutdown that we have all just experienced with the Covid 19 pandemic. The story is told in a kind of stream of consciousness manner so it almost seems to be conversational and at times a little disjointed. But it mirrored very closely my feelings during the early part of the pandemic and shutdown. Confusion, fear, disbelief, more fear, loneliness, longing for contact with friends and family. And finally quiet acceptance that this would be our way for life for a long time to come. And yet even during a pandemic and shutdown, real life continues. People have to figure out how to work under the new restrictions and they discover that they really don't need to go to an office to be productive on their jobs. People get sick, some people die, spouses have affairs, marriages end, other relationships start and in the midst of it all, friendships start and grow. Even with new parameters of how to interact with friends. This was an enjoyable read and reassuring that I wasn't the only one with this whole range of emotions and reactions to our ever-changing circumstances.

Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy by the Sea is my first foray into literature taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s likely I’ve avoided it for a reason (my industry was shutdown) as the memories of what was so completely unknown are still very fresh. We’ve met our titular Lucy before and, as in Strout’s other novels, we are simply privy to this chapter of her life.

Lucy by the Sea is more than the description (divorced couple forced into each other’s lives by the pandemic) will lead you to believe. As with Oh William, Strout’s companion to Lucy by the Sea published in 2021, Lucy does not so much leap off the page as she does infiltrate your conscience. Lucy navigates the fear and uncertainty typical in any life, especially one in which an unexpected and untimely loss has occurred, but that was heightened by the pandemic and all that came along with it.

As we’ve come to expect, Strout’s writing remains as sharp as ever. Descriptions of settings and people are realistic but never flashy. Her word choose is precise; it never feels as though there are too many of them.

What does life have in store for Lucy? We can only hope that Strout has the answer and that she’ll let us in on it soon.

It was inevitable that the COVID lockdown entered the realm of fiction: after all, it is an historic event and to be honest, I was rather interested to see how authors incorporated the many aspects of life during COVID into novels. That brings me to Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy by the Sea, a seemingly child-like title which belies the reality… or does it?


Lucy is a reappearing character in several Strout novels: My Name is Lucy Barton (have to backtrack to read this one), Anything is Possible, and Oh, William. In Oh, William, Elizabeth Strout gave us a first hand look at the after-marriage of Lucy Barton and her X-William. In that novel, writer Lucy Barton, freshly widowed from her second husband, becomes embroiled in the life of her self-focused X when his much-younger wife, unsurprisingly, moves onto fresher pastures. William is a Dickhead. Selfish, self-focused, not, I suppose a ‘bad’ man, but in his prime a serial adulterer who now aged 70 seems as little aware of the damage he caused as when he had numerous affairs.

Lucy by the Sea takes us to COVID lockdown. Lucy, like many people, hears about the virus tangentially in the news but William, who after all is/was a scientist, takes the news very seriously indeed and drives Lucy to a rental house in Maine for the duration. This is not an action novel by any means–instead this is Lucy’s tale as she sits out the virus–until vaccination time that is. So it’s a novel about waiting, watching the news and missing loved ones. In other words, this is a relatable novel. Bob Burgess makes an appearance as a supporting character. He helps arrange the Maine rental, and when the situation allows, he and his wife Margaret visit Lucy and William, maintaining social distance of course. For Lucy, this period takes on a dream like-quality. Watching the news, seeing the deaths, from a safe distance, seems almost surreal. Lucy and William’s two daughters Chrissy and Becka, each have their own crises during lockdown and Lucy cannot run to their sides to help. She can only wait for news at a distance. Bob Burgess (The Burgess Boys) is a kindred spirit to Lucy and helps with William and Lucy’s Maine transition.

In Oh, William, a highly enjoyable read, a great deal of the delight came from Lucy’s observations of William, a selfish sod whose world consists of two daughters, ex-wife Lucy and his much younger wife and third daughter who have just left him. William’s two adult daughters and Lucy seem to spend a great deal of time worrying about William–a man whose self-focus guarantees he puts himself first. In Lucy by the Sea, William appears to be thinking of someone else for a change.

When I read the synopsis of the novel, I thought Poor Lucy… imagine being in lockdown with that prick for a year.. but Elizabeth Strout chooses not to play the novel that way. I had imagined them driving each other crazy, and while that does happen to a mild degree, lockdown pushes William into protective mode, and brings panic attacks to Lucy. What happened to William’s dickheadedness? Or does COVID bring out the best in William–at last? Is his desire to ‘save’ Lucy sincere or is her just using COVID to control her? Strout does a wonderful job of recreating a COVID lockdown experience (many varieties exist): the ennui, the feeling of suspended animation, the heartbreak of being unable to have physical contact with family, and the bitter crunch of being housebound 24/7 with someone whose habits drive you around the bend. At some point, I became disappointed with the plot, but I came to that conclusion too soon. Ultimately, Elizabeth Strout did not disappoint me. There’s a wonderful scene with William and Lucy in which William confesses that he wished he had lived his life better:

“Oh Lucy, come on. I sit here and think over my life , and I think, Who have I been? I have been an idiot.”

“In what way?”

I asked him. And interestingly he answered first about his profession. “I have taught student after student after student, but did I make a real contribution to science? No.”

I opened my mouth, but he held up his hand to stop me.

“And on a personal level, look how I have lived my life.” I thought he must have been talking about his affairs. But he was not.

Lucy had a terrible childhood, and now in her 60s, she is, to this reader, surprisingly childlike. That kind of abuse creates permanent damage, yet somehow Lucy is cocooned by her belief in the beauty of the world. In her head she has created an imaginary mother–a loving kind mother who supports her and comforts her. It’s a great coping mechanism. Lucy is a believable character because she is so consistent. She never acts outside of the character created by Strout. To this reader, Lucy is remarkable because she is so good in spite of all her horrible experiences. But, at the same time, even though Lucy is good and believable, she is a little vanilla. Lucy is an observer of the world more than anything, and she is a passive character. In Oh, William, William’s dickheadedness added spike and spice to the plot, and there were times when even Lucy got sick of him. Olive Kitteridge appears in the sidelines and there were times I longed for Olive’s acidic tongue. She would make short work of William.

There’s a sequel here. I know it. And the big boom is coming.

review copy.

In book #4 of the Amgash series, Strout presents a poignant, journal-style, first person account of one New York family’s experiences with the COVID pandemic and quarantine. While everyone has their own COVID story to tell, Strout takes it a step farther. Lucy by the Sea demonstrates how, even in the face of complete disruption, life went on with all of its drama, tragedy, change, self-discovery, and growth.

Just like each of us, Lucy's life changed with pandemic. She found many changes in her life and an uncertain future. Just like many of us, she takes it day by day as the events of the times unfolded. This is the first book I have read that is set during the Covid-19 pandemic. Being this is so recent, and we are still affected by it, Elizabeth Strout does a wonderful job of portraying the feelings and thoughts during this fearsome time. I related to Lucy, many of her fears and thoughts I experienced. I found myself in a new state in a different home, with constant worry about family, friends and what my life was to become, and fearful of loss. This book for me was a five-star read, I really enjoyed it. I found it made me feel a bit less alone dealing with my own thoughts and emotions of the times. Like being around a good friend, I didn't want my time with Lucy by the Sea to end.

If you’ve been following along with Elizabeth Strout as she shares across novels (My Name Is Lucy Barton, Anything is Possible, and Oh, William!) the deep life story and relationships of Lucy Barton, then you will love this book. It embodies short snippets of Lucy’s reflections as she escapes NYC with her ex-husband William and heads to a reclusive rural house in Maine on the ocean to escape the pandemic.

Lucy’s overwhelmed with the strangeness of suddenly becoming reclusive, of the almost unbearable length of pandemic isolation with no end in sight, and deepening worries about her two daughters living far away. The book captures moments of her disbelief, confusion, flashback memories, and being forced to reflect on what makes a life worth living. Lucy also has a reckoning about her relationship to William, with newfound closeness catching her by surprise, especially as she’s still processing grief over the death of her second husband. Her daughters both have their own ongoing traumas in their marriages unraveling, in addition to being appalled at their Mom’s growing feelings about William. There’s also a savvy capturing of the hostility of some of the Maine locals, who fervently wish that all the displaced city folk just leave their small town alone.

Many of Lucy’s reflections hit home – from moments such as having outside drinks with neighbors while social distancing to her deep dismay over the political divides with Trump in office, George Floyd’s murder, and the rise of the “Black Lives Matter” movement during the heart of the pandemic. It’s the first book I’ve read that emotionally captures the turmoil of lockdown as well as the tension consuming the nation. We also get the thrill of appearances in the novel of Olive Kitteridge and the Burgess boys from other of Strout’s novels.

All in all, a poignant read that leaves you wanting more Lucy and how she’ll rebuild her life post-pandemic.


Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Given the opportunity to read this one early, it turned out to be the first book within the Amgash series that I truly enjoyed. This is not rare for me to fail to enjoy books that are popular and on the best seller lists, but I am glad I gave it another shot and finally really liked a Lucy book!
It is of course very relatable for all of us living through pandemic times, and this is basically a journal of all the latest doings in Lucy's world, now moved from New York to Maine. Several major family things happen, but I won't spoil it by sharing details. It is a thoughtful representation of experiences during pandemic in America.

NetGalley advanced copy

Thank you for this delightful return to Lucy and William. I especially loved the reference to Olive. Though I personally do not look forward to books that describe the pandemic, this was an interesting way to tell the story of those times.

This was my third Elizabeth Strout book, and I didn’t know until I finished it that it is the fourth book involving Lucy Barton, so I guess I’ll be visiting my local library soon so I can get caught up on Lucy’s life. I liked Lucy as much as I liked Olive Kittridge. I can certainly relate to both characters – older women living in Maine and what they have to deal with. These Maine women are strong and don’t put up with a lot of nonsense. They are both women I would like to be friends with if they were real. I was glad Olive was mentioned a couple of times in this one, so I know she’s still kicking. In this story, Lucy is an author living in NYC when the COVID pandemic starts. Her ex-husband, William, father of her grown daughters, wants to get them both out of the city, so he rents a place on the coast of Maine where they will be more isolated. I can certainly relate to being isolated on the coast of Maine. I still wear my mask in stores and mostly only go out to do chores. William gets to know his stepsister, who also lives in Maine, and gets a job at the university. Lucy makes a few friends and does a lot of thinking about her life, while she writes her latest novel. I could really relate to these particular lines, “I thought of how my life had become so different from what I had ever imagined for myself during these – my last – years,.” and “I could not stop feeling that life as I had known it was gone.” I can’t tell you how many times my bf and I have said to each other, “I never imagined that this is what my retirement would be.” Lucy let me know that Kate & I are not the only Maine women who think this. I loved this book and can’t wait to learn more about Lucy. I would like to thank Penguin Random House, Elizabeth Strout and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC free for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author and I didn’t realize it was part of a series. That being said, I loved the author’s writing style and enjoyed this book as a stand-alone. I have already added the previous books to my TBR list!

4.5 stars. This book may not be for everyone because it is set during the pandemic, but I love Elizabeth Strout’s books and more specifically her characters so much that anything by her is a hit for me. She has an uncanny ability to feel what it feels to be another person and her writing style is so unique that it can be recognized immediately. She interweaves her characters so they can sometimes pop in unexpectedly, like a familiar friend. Her insights of what it is to be human are unmatched. Her books are shortish and I think that helps too. Every word and sentence are written with purpose. There are so many “yes, I feel that too” moments.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. It is available 9/20/22. Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. This was another five star read for me. I really enjoyed the book.

Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout

So this was an arc I received. I didn’t realize it was the same characters from a book I have on my shelf that I haven’t read yet. It can be read as a stand alone. It is heavy on the pandemic! If you don’t want to be reminded of those times then this isn’t the book for you.

Elizabeth Strout has such an easy way of writing. It’s like lying in a hammock and chatting with an old friend. No judgements, but lots of self-reflection and thoughtful conversation.

Different but great. I read many reviews stating they didn’t like the “stream of conscious” writing the author used but it suited me fine. I wouldn’t enjoy all books being in this style but it was perfect for this story. It’s written in a way that’s so easy to connect with. And while it’s an average woman’s take on living during the Pandemic, it’s written so well, with much truth and emotion, so that the reader can easily picture the story playing out. Again, not a wild story, just a regular one but written so beautifully. I truly enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of Lucy by the Sea in exchange for an honest review. I have read other books by Elizabeth Strout, but none in the Lucy Barton series. It wasn't necessary to read the other books in the series to understand what was going on. However, that being said, the Lucy Barton series is apparently a very popular series, based on all the 4-5 star reviews. Lucy by the Sea is an OK book. It is about Lucy Barton and how she spends the first year of the pandemic. As most of us recall, the first year of the pandemic was fairly boring as we couldn't do anything. Well, Lucy can't do anything either. Therefore the story moves sort of slow. It's not a bad story, you don't have to keep track of a lot of characters and there's not a lot of anything else to keep track of. A nice easy read.

Elizabeth Strout is a fantastic writer and I have come to love Lucy and her family. It was very smart to explore the pandemic (and Black Lives Matter protests and presidential election and January 6 insurrection) through the eyes of these beloved characters.

That said, this is an excellent book that just feels a little too close to the events it describes. It reads like historical fiction, but its take on the world-shaking year that was 2020 - insightful and compassionate, as it may be - was understandably also very raw, I don't know if it's just that it's too close to *me* or too close to the author, but I doubt I'll be the only reader who struggled with this. It felt more like it was reopening newly healed wounds, instead of offering the kind of helpful perspective-taking that only time can provide.

But this is very well-done and is, on the whole successful. I will recommend it to readers, but with a substantial content warning.

A mini-review will appear on my blog on September 17, 2022.