If you have never read this author…BUCKLE UP! She is blunt, truthful and insightful. And this book nails them all. This is a story about Lucy and William, AGAIN! They have a history. They have been married before and share two children. But William cheated on their marriage. So, divorce was inevitable. Now, here it is years later and William moves Lucy in with him in Maine to avoid the pandemic in NYC. These two have a bond and a friendship that is hard to come by.

The first time I read this author, I thought, how depressing. I remember sending in my review to the publisher and it said “I read to escape, this book is no escape!” But, there is just something about her books that keep me thinking and I just keep coming back. Her books make you reflect on your past and sometimes that is just not a happy process. But, it is a necessary process to grow. So, once again, Elizabeth Strout is amazing with Lucy By The Sea!

This is a story about love, family, friendship, and trying to survive. I could name a thousand more astute areas of this novel. Just know, it is a novel which just might put you in a pensive mood. But everyone needs to read Elizabeth Strout! Trust me!

Need a book which will have you reflecting and just enjoying the moment…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

It took me a few tries to get into Lucy By the Sea.  I was just not ready to read a book about the pandemic.  Though we are no longer locked down, we are still struggling with the virus, wearing masks, and the accompanying isolation.  We are also not far enough removed from the political unrest for me to lose myself in the story.  It’s just too soon for me.

However, once I finally began reading, I finished it in a day. Elizabeth Strout remains one of my favorite writers.  The quiet beauty of Lucy’s relationship with William is explored further in this story.  Her relationship with her daughters is complex and honest, and one particular scene with Crissy brought me to tears (no spoilers here).  The setting in Maine was beautifully written, and I could almost picture the house on the edge of the cliff, as it changed throughout the seasons.  And I was thrilled that Olive Kitteridge made a cameo in this story!  

Despite the time period that was a little problematic for me, I will still read anything that Strout writes.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

If you don't want to read co-vid books, do read this. however if you can, this will be a good one. Same Lucy and William banter. What happens when they quarrantine together in Maine during the pandemic.

This book centers on Lucy and the pandemic.  The book starts escribing Lucy as grieving for her recently deceased husband.  When her ex-husband talks her into leaving NYC for coastal Maine, Lucy agrees and off they go.  I think that the author did a good job describing the early days of the pandemic, the fear, anxiety, the questions - we all experienced.  
However, I felt that Lucy's observations were flat, detached and annoying.  There were so many things that Lucy didn't like - masks, social distancing- that  the story became boring and repetitious.  Adding in the author's (Lucy's) liberal political viewpoints and the offensive way she thought of people who had a different political point of view - and I really found the book too hard to take.  
This book had very little plot, but a lot of internal musings by Lucy, and a lot of whining and negativity in her reflections of her life. The book was very slow moving, although little snippets of her thoughts we short and scattered throughout the book.
one thought that I wish Lucy had reflected upon during her musings were "We are all in this together."  Yes, we are and we all do what we can to get through it.
I received this ARC from the NetGalley and the publisher and all opinions are my own.

This is my first time reading a book by Elizabeth Strout. I started it on a camping trip and read voraciously in our tent until the end. It has been a few weeks since I finished the book, but it has stayed with me as few do. This is a book about relationships in the time of covid-between close and distant family, friends, and acquaintances. I was nervous to read it because covid still feels so close. Although everything was very accurately described, reading about Lucy's experiences brought me a sense of peace. I was in a different part of the country, so it was interesting to read about how other people experienced the early days of the pandemic. I highly recommend.

Elizabeth Strout is a National treasure!

This book finds Lucy living on the coast of Maine in a rental house with her ex-husband during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is away from her beloved NYC and her two daughters. We live through the pandemic with Lucy and her husband as they re-figure a relationship under trying circumstances. 

In classic Strout fashion, the writing is spare. It's as if she has considered every word, whittling them down to perfection; and it seems effortless as a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of "Lucy by the Sea" in exchange for an honest review. It was wonderful to get to revisit Lucy Barton again, not to mention a couple of other characters. As always, Stout's masterful storytelling skills left me thinking about Lucy Barton's journey long after I finished reading.

In Lucy By the Sea, Elizabeth Strout has returned to the story of Lucy Barton and her first husband, William, that was written of so well in Oh William. In this new book, we have moved ahead to early 2020, February then early March, when William suggests, no insists, that he pick her up and they leave the city “for a while” and that their daughters and families leave too. Lucy hasn’t a clue really. She hasn’t been paying any attention to much of anything it seems. And this wonderful novel picks up from there.

While set during the time of Covid, this is not really only a pandemic story. It is a story of how people adapt and adjust during a pandemic and allows for much introspection. I am in awe of Strout’s ability to continue the world that is Lucy’s into a new and different reality which requires that she look both back and forward, assessing her beliefs about herself, her family, her world and future. All of the attributes developed in the prior novels underpin Lucy’s reactions and coping mechanisms, as well as her relationships, with William, her daughters, and others she meets on this wholly unexpected, unwanted journey.

Elizabeth Strout has become one of my favorite authors. I will read anything she writes. I highly recommend Lucy by the Sea to all but familiarity with the Lucy Barton novels is recommended. If you haven’t yet read them, you have a reading treat ahead.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Lucy Barton, a 60 something character, is reunited, in a sense, with her ex-husband, William, in the latest installment of Strout's series.  After having read of Lucy and her life experiences in the author's previous books, it feels like you're returning to visit an old acquaintance, not necessarily a friend.  
What was especially interesting was the initial setting of the book.  It was reflective of the unknowing pandemic calamity.  Strout's simplistic prose captured the terror and uncertainty of the time so well.  It was easy to relate to what we had all experienced thanks to such a gifted writer.   There were so many situations described that made it necessary to evaluate the interactions of the characters  as well as your own actions.  Great read!

I love everything Elizabeth Strout writes and was so happy to revive another Novel featuring Lucy Barton.

The writing style, the characters and the story, I am always hooked from the start of the book.  Only Ms. Strout could write about the pandemic lockdowns in a way that reflected how it felt.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy.  I loved it!

Beautiful.  Simply Beautiful.

Anyone who lived during the pandemic will relate to the book, and anyone who has loved Lucy Barton will love reading about this stage in her life.  Memories came flooding back, both of Strout's earlier books and my own experiences during those early pandemic days.  My only complaint is the book seemed somewhat complete, and I truly hope this isn't the last we see of Lucy Barton.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Lucy By the Sea.  The latest in the Lucy Barton series, Elizabeth Strout once again knocks it out of the park as her protagonist endures life during the covid lockdown. 

Have recently lost husband number two, ex-husband William  whisks Lucy away from New York to the Maine coast, since he foresees that a move is needed.  Lucy, with her history of asthma, is vulnerable. Strout depicts an authentic description of how difficult and isolating it was during the pandemic. We see more of the crotchety interactions with ex-husband William, but ultimately they seem to comfort one another.  

Family dynamics take center stage again in this one and Stout with her keen sense of telling a tale reminds us of what mattered most during the pandemic.  We get to know more about Lucy’s daughters, their families, and their lives.  Only one of their daughters, Chrissy, and her family take William’s advice to leave New York.  Sadly, both of Lucy’s daughters are experiencing issues in their relationships. Its tough times.  

Four Stars.  A great read. Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advance copy for an unbiased and candid review. #LucybytheSea #ElizabethStrout #Netgalley

If you’ve enjoyed other novels by Elizabeth Strout, than this new one “Lucy By The Sea” will be no different. I read both an ARC and an audiobook version simultaneously. The audio narrator is Kimberly Farr who has done other works by Elizabeth Strout and is always a joy to listen to. Simply put, I can’t imagine any other voice than Farr’s when I read Strout’s stories. 

This latest novel is the happenings of Lucy Barton & her Ex-husband William as they decide to escape New York during the Covid pandemic and how it effects them & their grown children. A wonderful introspective examination of their loves, losses, mistakes & triumphs. Highly recommend this book & all of Elizabeth Strout’s novels. She has the ability to bring authentic, vulnerable characters to life on the page. People you won’t mind meeting up with again when you “travel” into their communities via the page. 

I read a print version as well as an audio version of this book. I adore Kimberly Farr’s narration for the vulnerable yet sometimes prickly Lucy Barton. Farr’s narration is spot-on and helps paint the picture in your imagination of who you believe Lucy is.

Every thought that went through my head during the pandemic 😷 was included in this book. I really love how an author decided to write a book that is fiction by based on real life events. If anybody ever wants to know what was it like during the pandemic I would say read Lucy By the Sea. From empty shelves to people hiding out. People socializing and people being extra cautious. 

Thank you Netgalley and Random house for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I really enjoy Elizabeth Strout so I was excited to see a new title to add to the Lucy collection. I will say, I wasn't thrilled to read about the pandemic. Literature is where I go to escape (and the pandemic lasted far too long); I'd just prefer not to 're-live' it. Pandemic books with political overtones are not for me.

If you've seen any of my Elizabeth Strout reviews, or my immediate 4-star post when I finished this book, you probably know already what I am going to say here. Honestly, there is not a Strout book I've read (and I think I've read them all), that I didn't love. So no, I am not at all objective. But I am also a reader of books that Elizabeth Strout did not write, and I can tell you, I am not always as lucky. I could read 10 more books about Lucy Barton; I find her uncomplicated and utterly fascinating at once. Her relationship with William is the same—easy or difficult depending on the hour or the day. This is not the first post-pandemic pandemic book I've read, but something about the way Strout wrote this made me conscious of the idea that what I was reading was like watching a train wreck, and then, shockingly, realizing it was something real that we all just lived. It is fantasy and hard-biting reality at once. So maybe what I'm saying is that I love Strout for all her contradictions. And also, for giving us the wonderful Lucy Barton.

Thank you, Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout. This book is a continuation of Lucy Barton's story (a character in a few of Strout's other novels). Lucy and ex-husband, sometimes friend, William leave Manhattan together and head to Maine for a several month stay. Strout is amazing at capturing the details of everyday life and weaving them together so perfectly. Just go read this and every other book by Elizabeth Strout.

This was an incredible book! I think the second-chance-romance trope is one that I usually find repetitive, but this one felt fresh and romantic. I think this book feels more like a realistic version of an on again, off again relationship, because it felt more nuanced to read about!

I just couldn’t with this one. Maybe it’s too soon for me to read an account of the early days of the pandemic? The writing was too slow and the content hit too close to home.

A terrible pandemic has hit New York and William wants to get his family out of the city. His ex wife, Lucy, is very willing to go to a friends house in Maine. One of their adult daughters and her husband are going to Connecticut. Their other daughter is going to take her chances in the city. Who is going to survive and also thrive?
Elizabeth Strout is a great storyteller and this story about the pandemic is real and heartwarming.