Two years ago, in the opening months of 2020, I read My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. It was the first time I'd read this celebrated author and I loved her writing. Only days after finishing that book the world changed in ways I could never have imagined thanks to the COVID pandemic.

When I had the opportunity to read another of Strout's novels, another about Lucy Barton, I grabbed it with both hands. As always, before starting to read this book, I did not read the blurb, I just jumped straight in. As I began, I was surprised to find out it was primarily set during the pandemic.

Strout paints a vivid picture of the conditions in New York at the start of, and throughout that first year of, the Covid Pandemic. She also did a great job of portraying the way the uncertainty and fear played havoc with people's minds. She ventured into the ways people's opinions and behaviors differed, even within her own family there was a broad array of attitudes on display. There were those who wanted to resist the rules being forced upon them whilst others disregarded the science believing their religion, their God, would save them.

It was not only a story of Covid. It was a story of Lucy and her family. Of the grief she felt at the loss of her second husband David. Of the normal, motherly concerns for her two daughters even though they're now fully grown adults. And it was a story of reconciliation between herself and William, her first husband and the father of her two girls.

A couple of times I wished I'd read Oh William, but it was not essential to have done so. I think Strout fans will also appreciate the few cameo appearances made by Olive Kitteridge.

As I read, I frequently forgot this was fiction, that Lucy Barton was merely a character. Instead, I kept falling into the trap of believing I was reading a memoir. I think this is a great compliment to the author, for delivering a story and a set of characters who were so believable. I'm quite convinced the words and thoughts she attributed to Lucy and William will strike a chord with a great many readers.

My thanks to Elizabeth Strout, to the publishers Random House Books, and of course NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As always an erudite wander through an ordinary life. Eminently readable. I expected to stop reading but found I just had to finish it.

Earlier this year, I read the 3 previous books in this series so was delighted to get the opportunity to be an early reader for the 4th and latest instalment in Lucy Barton's story. Lucy by the Sea takes place during those hazy days of the Covid-19 pandemic where no one quite knew what was happening and almost everyone underestimated the impact this global event would have on all our lives. Lucy recalls these days with the benefit of hindsight and so is able to see, much as we the readers now do, how naïve many of us were in thinking our lives would return to normal in a week or two.

As the virus begins to spread Lucy, recently widowed but still on good terms with her first husband William, moves to Maine to live with him while they wait out the impact. During the two years or so that life as we knew it was put on pause, Lucy finds herself distanced from and unable to guide her daughters whose own relationships go through significant challenges. We feel Lucy's desperate desire to connect with her daughters even as they push for greater independence and privacy. We see her fully appreciate the importance of companionship, friendship and acceptance in the face of fear and uncertainty. We understand Lucy as she reflects on the decisions she has made in her life and as the realisation dawns on her that what once mattered so much, particularly in the context of a global pandemic, now seems so inconsequential.

You can certainly read and enjoy Lucy by the Sea as a standalone novel, Elizabeth Strout does an excellent job of giving you the information you need to keep up with the story, but to do so would be to miss out on all the intricacies and nuances of a character with a rich interior world. Reading this book on its own as opposed to reading it in the context of the whole series is the difference between viewing an image in faded sepia and seeing it in full colour. My advice? Treat yourself and grab all four books then work your way through them and get to know this damaged, flawed but ultimately loveable literary creation.

As Lockdown novels go — and I’ve consumed quite a few — Lucy by the Sea is one of the best I’ve read. It’s penetrative and remindful, authentic but understated, and because it revolves around a familiar fictional character, it carries a compelling intimacy that makes it hard to put down.

It’s spring 2020, the early days of the pandemic, and Lucy’s ex-husband William persuades her to leave New York for the relative safety of coastal Maine, where he’s rented a house for them. Uprooted from her home and separated from her two adult daughters, Lucy has to adjust to this new reality with just William by her side, a man with whom she has a complicated history.

In telling Lucy and William’s story, Strout cleverly encapsulate the experience of that first lockdown in a way that most of us can relate to: the overwhelming strangeness of it, the isolation, the vulnerability. But also how defining it was in terms of accepting a new status quo.

As always, Strout’s first-person narrative is irresistible. Lucy’s voice is confiding, questioning; that of a woman thrown by uncertainty and fear of the unknown. But this enforced seclusion is also a time for personal reflection, for soul searching and honesty. And not just for Lucy; William too takes stock of the past.

As the months go by, there’s a gradual recalibration in the way they see themselves and each other. There’s a genuine tenderness and affection, a mutual dependency despite the little irritations on both sides. This too, I think, was reminiscent of the experience of many.

Having found the Lucy of Oh William! too melancholy a character to relate to (even considering her traumatic past), it was a joy to discover in Lucy by the Sea a woman who was both likeable and sympathetic. A woman — a mother — like me in her later years, still willing to embrace change and unexpected new beginnings.


Thank you, Elizabeth, for giving us this Lucy. All is forgiven.

Elizabeth Strout is a new author for me, although she has been on my to read list for a while.
The writing felt intimate, instantly encouraging me into the lives of the main characters William and Lucy. I loved the apparent simplicity of the writing and the nativity of the construction of the narration. however, the surface simplicity hides the deep insight into the attitudes, prejudices, poverty and ignorance of society when the Covid virus struck.
I have already ordered more books by this author and cannot wait to start reading them.

Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout is a sequel to her last novel, Oh William!

It begins a few months after the previous one ended but with a little more menace which the reader will of course recognise as early stages of the global pandemic. William has suggested that their children Chrissie and Becka should leave New York city as quickly as possible and then suggests that Lucy accompanies him to a place in Maine. Lucy doesn't understand the reason for the alarm but agrees to go for a few weeks.

Strout's uniquely fluid style of writing swept me along as if I were listening to an old friend chatting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lucy By The Sea directly after Oh William! but it would have been just as good even if I had not read any of her previous work.

This is much less a pandemic novel as a Strout novel with a pandemic backdrop.

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin General UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This story is about a couple, Lucy & William who are divorced, both have been remarried, Lucy’s husband is now deceased.
It the start of the the Covid pandemic, William wants Lucy to get out out of New York, join him in Maine, he tells her he is helping save her life. They have two grown up children from their marriage. William is also encouraging them to leave New York.
I haven’t read the previous books, I didn’t realise this was a series, I still enjoyed the story, it’s very relatable and current,
Lucy and William seem to have had a complicated relationship in the past with William having had numerous affairs, they seem able to put the past behind them and be together once again, supporting one another through the uncertainty of the pandemic.
A thought provoking read.

Another classic Lucy Barton book and a great opportunity in Covid and lockdown to revisit Lucy at another turning point in her life. Lovely on familial relationships, friendships and getting older. Strout unearths fundamental truths about life and love while examining the minutiae of lockdown. She's perceptive on grief, isolation and guilt. She also examines privilege in various forms and looks beyond the intimate to focus on the wider politics and economics of the US and the world. A very clever and fascinating book. Fans of Elizabeth Strout should not be disappointed and newcomers should still love it even if some of the references to previous books might pass them by.

Superb read. You need to be in the mood for a pandemic book. I've only read one other book where the pandemic is one of the main characters in the book. It definitely brings it all back. I've read most of the books that Strout has in this series and this is the one I've enjoyed the most. It's quite reflective as is usual, but being mid pandemic this feels very natural and normal. There is a lot to think about in the novel, as she wonders if this is it for the rest of her life. The author does seem obsessed with affairs, having them, being the victim of them, advising her daughter about them, and on and on...
Delighted to receive this ARC from @PenguinUKBooks @VikingBooksUK @VikingBooksUK

My Name Is Lucy Barton hit me hard: a writer whose sentences were elegant, clear and without a wasted word. Though the novel covered only a few days in hospital, we got a character whose story was mundane in detail, but devastating in sum. Lucy by the Sea brings Lucy’s story up to date - as it covers the first year of the pandemic and recently widowed Lucy’s decision to leave New York for a small coastal town in Maine. The move is instigated by Lucy’s first husband William, and the central thrust of the novel concerns how their relationship evolves during lockdown. Strout is the poet of how everyday practical choices change lives - so to go into any further detail would give away the many pleasures of following Lucy’s journey through the pandemic. Returning to a familiar literary world and a character as affecting as Lucy is an unalloyed joy, if nothing in this third episode can quite match the thrill of discovery..

Just before the pandemic hit the US, Lucy's ex-husband and good friend, William, decides that they should leave New York for the countryside of Maine to sit out the virus. One of her daughters is able to relocate with her husband to Connecticut, the other choses to stay with her husband in Brooklyn.
The book has picked up threads from the Oh William! when she is bereft after the death of her husband David. Rather than being retrospective, this book is more of the now with a few reminiscences.
It tells of how Lucy wasn't really aware of the virus, but then life kind of smacks her in the face with it. How they adapt to new surroundings and new people and learn to get along with each other under the same roof once more.
As with all of her previous books, you feel like you've been wrapped in a duvet whilst reading this. They are chicken soup.

If I could write like anyone in the world, it would be Elizabeth Strout. I could read her novels forever, and if she wants to keep writing about Lucy Barton again and again, I'm here for it everytime. I've posted on several occasions about the incredible series of books beginning "My Name is Lucy Barton" and fabulous as this novel is, it won't really work unless you have read the others. This is not due to any plot spoilers but because you need to have Strout's spell cast on you from the very beginning in order to be devoted enough to Lucy to read an installment that, while the world is in chaos, details a very quiet and mundane period that was life for many people in lockdown.

What touched me most is Lucy's concern for the people who touched her life only tangentially, but were no less a part of her life "before": a blind man she used to help off the bus, an old woman who used to sit outside her apartment and talk to passersby. This is part of the joy of Strout's work, these fleeting connections between people and moments of clarity in an otherwise confusing and scary world. She also feels the weight of public and private grief in a way I hadn't really seen articulated elsewhere, as well as the grief for what might have been, and the people we became because of the pandemic versus the people we might have become.

I will admit, part of me wondered if a novel about Lucy in the pandemic would be just too close to real life. I don't think I would have bothered to read it if I didn't love Strout so much, but since I'm already converted I really enjoyed it, and it strangely provided a kind of catharsis; I was able to see things in a different light and reflect on 2020 and how if affected both my own life and the wider world in a way that I didn't know I was ready for.

Elizabeth Strout is a master storyteller and I can't find anything I don't like in the phrose, setting, and characters.
Everything seems so simple and everything is able to kept me reading and turning pages.
I was happy to read another book about Lucy and William. It was hard to read at times as the pandemics is still going and it was emotionally charged.
There's a lot of emotions, the pandemics is one of the main characters as Maine.
I read it in one evening as I wasn't able to stop reading and found the storytelling riveting.
A great book that can be emotionally challenging at times.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I've always really enjoyed Elizabeth Strout books, but sadly this was an exception. Her writing is always worth reading, but maybe it was my own frame of mind and Covid experience, but I didn't enjoy reading someone else's slow meander through their pandemic experience.
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin Books for an advance copy of this book

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a proof copy of this book! Lucy Barton is so loveable. there’s something about her that really resonates with me, and something Strout does so so well - showing her protagonist’s rich inner life while keeping them guarded, cynical and grumpy. I loved the natural imagery, the way relationships were so honest and tender. yes, it’s about the pandemic but it didn’t feel cliche or too close to home, it felt real and considerate, especially of the themes of grief and loss. a really lovely, soft, windswept book to get cosy with !

I have loved all of Elizabeth Strout's books with My Name Is Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge being my favourite rereads. I wasn't so keen on Oh William and now having read Lucy By The Sea feel that the writing is not what I have enjoyed and admired in the past.

This is partly due to the subject matter - Once again we visit the life of Lucy and ex-husband William as they flee away on William's suggestion from New York to the coast of Maine during the Covid pandemic. So we are engaged (or not) with how life changes for them and the family.

The pandemic affected me badly as it did many thousands of other people. It is far too soon for me to be reading a novel about life during the pandemic and I had to give up halfway through. The best of Elizabeth Strout's writing is when she delves into the past as she does when we were first introduced to Lucy and Olive. But these characters, especially Lucy, keep 'talking' to Ms Strout so she continues to write about them.

Nevertheless, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a pre-publication copy of my favourite writers.

Lucy by the Sea. Isn't that a great title? And in this book (Amgash#4), Lucy Barton is indeed by the sea, living in a small house on the Maine coast, whisked there by ex-husband William at the beginning of the Covid outbreak. As a scientist William is ahead of the game and knows it will be wise to be out of New York when the virus starts to gather speed.

I thought I would not enjoy a book set in Covid times but Strout is a masterful writer and Lucy is an admirable character. Put the two of them together and of course we have a beautiful history of the times including the human experience of how we survived lockdown and all its consequences. Lucy has friends and family who get sick, who are suffering in different ways, and who are not able to get together at the most stressful times. Just like we all did.

I wondered what William's real reason was for choosing Lucy as the one person he wanted to save and protect. He has not always been the best person towards her even though their friendship has been enduring. At one point it is suggested he manipulates her - maybe he is making sure he has company in his final years. I wonder if there will be a fifth book for us to find out! I certainly hope so!

I highly recommend this book but if you are new to Lucy Barton start with My Name Is Lucy Barton. It is a series which grows on you.

Lucy by the Sea - Elizabeth Strout

In March 2020 Lucy is persuaded by her ex-husband William to leave New York City and stay in a house by the sea in Maine with him. We follow Lucy and her family throughout the pandemic and some surprising turns of events.

This book is part of a series but I read it as a standalone book and absolutely loved it. I will now read the 3 others that came before it. I really enjoyed Elizabeth Strout's way of writing and how ordinary snippets of anecdotes or events can take on such huge meaning. I'm delighted to have discovered a new-to-me author and highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This is the fourth book about Lucy Barton, and what a treat to step back into her world. It could be read as a stand-alone, but richer rewards await those who start at the beginning of the series. Here Lucy’s first husband William, as a scientist, understands what is coming as the pandemic hits, and whisks her away for her own safety to a rented cottage on the coast of Maine. Still grieving her second husband David and missing her home in New York, Lucy at first hates it, but gradually, as dramas unfold around her family and friends, comes to appreciate a different style of life and to forge new bonds in the community. Reading this was like having a good catch-up with a beloved friend, especially as we get to meet again the delightful Bob Burgess from “The Burgess Boys” ( Olive Kitteridge also gets a mention). Lucy’s reflections on the fear, stasis and frequent tedium of life during the lockdowns really resonated with me, but she also captures the small pleasures associated with a slower way of being and with an enhanced awareness of natural beauty and human kindness. Nor does she flinch from portraying the self-serving and thoughtless behaviour exhibited by some, particularly her daughter Chrissy’s in-laws. The joy of family reunions and the gradual relaxing of the restrictions reminds us how important it is to count our blessings and to savour the good times. Au revoir for now, Lucy- I hope we do get to meet again.

The fourth in a series that has been celebrated and beloved by many, Lucy By The Sea is a slower and more reflective book, but I think is all the stronger for it.

Although writing about Covid-19 and lockdowns still feels a bit too fresh for it to make for comfortable reading, the first half of this book especially, covering the early days of the pandemic, are beautifully and sensitively observed- a slow creeping tension, confusion and panic suffuse the early pages of this quietly haunting book.

Telling this story through Lucy- an established character who is thoughtful, family- and community-minded, and somewhat anxious- adds some weight to the decisions she wrangles with in this book, from how involved to be with those who believe it is all a hoax, to how she thinks about her future and later years.

Although the second half didn't always sustain that tension for me, there is a real generosity and subtlety to the writing that I found incredibly engaging, and we explore more of the relationship between Lucy and William, and how their children explore the changes of the world and their relationships.

We also have a crossing over of universes, with one of Lucy's friends talking about her friend, Olive Kitteridge on a couple of occasions, and how she is coping with it all.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.