struggled a little finishing this book. seemed to drag a little. no liking the characters. similar to the other book she wrote in feel. seems a lot to discusss in book clubs. didn't love the style of writing. sorry but was not a great read for me. this rarely happens. i would recommend it, others would love it.

Lucy Barton was once married to William Gerhardt, who is a scientist. They had two daughters together, Chrissy and Becka. But, despite being divorced for quite some time, Lucy and William are still friends. They meet up from time to time and seek each other out for comfort during times of stress.

William discovers that he might have a half sister in Maine, and just after his third wife leaves him, decides to check out said half sister. He enlists Lucy to join him on his trip to the wilds of Maine to meet the half sister who is, apparently, the daughter of a potato farmer, and who was apparently abandoned by her mother, also William's mother, at the age of one.

This is a lovely book. Lucy is the narrator and you get the feeling she is talking to you, telling her life story, or at least some pertinent events in her life story. It's full of little verbal ticks that give it so much more intimacy, e.g. "what I'm trying to say is ...." And so forth.

I loved this book. Were GoodReads to allow it, I'd give it 4*+. Which is to say, it's a most excellent book, albeit probably not one of the ten or twenty best books ever written, which would then make it 5*. But who am I to say?

#OhWilliam! #NetGalley

Once again, the brilliant Elizabeth Strout has captured the voice of our innermost thoughts and put them in a book about the characters in life. The voice of her main character Lucy makes you feel as if you're talking to an old friend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Another wonder from Elizabeth Strout.
Typical meandering, almost stream of consciousness offering from Strout. All about the characters, not so much about the plot. I don't quite see how this would work as a standalone as it revisits characters from other books and Strout's style takes some getting used to. Thoughtful, deeply felt. Wondrous book.

Not having read the author's other books with this character I was a bit lost at times. There are several references with things like - "as I told you before." There are also double explanations with phrases like - "what I mean by that...." This is definitely a case of maybe I did not read the same book as the other reviewers.

Beautifully written, this book centers around Lucy and her ex husband William. They travel together to explore the secrets of Williams mother and a mystery child. But it’s really a story of love and life. This was my first book by the author and now I am on the hunt for her other books. The writing was lyrical and the story very original. I am recommending the book to everyone I know! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Elizabeth Strout continues the story of Lucy Barton, first introduced in "My Name is Lucy Barton" and focuses on her relationship with her first husband William in "Oh William!" When I read her first book featuring Lucy, I remembered being quite moved by the character and her upbringing, while the book itself was a bit disjointed. This book takes place later and is written in the form of Lucy speaking in almost conversational tone, as she makes multiple asides to the audience. Her relationship with William is interesting- he still has quite a hold on her and leans on her despite having been married twice since their divorce. They have two grown children together, which connects them, but William had a long history of cheating on Lucy while they were married. Lucy is still deeply grieving her second husband. She describes grief as "it is like sliding down the outside of a really long glass building while nobody sees you."

The second half of the book focuses on a trip that William and Lucy take to Maine in order to investigate a familial mystery of William's. While that plot point was a bit unnecessary, it did continue to highlight the ways in which the two interact with one another, especially how they are especially good at acknowledging the other's negative traits (how one aside can really dig a metaphorical knife in), and one can see how the two both fell in love and also divorced. It is a realistic take on two people who have been through a lot together. I especially was interested to see how Lucy's childhood trauma exhibited itself into adulthood. Strout continues to write notable female protagonists.

Elizabeth Strout is a must-read author for me. Her writing about relationships and the quiet going ons of life are one of a kind. I am so glad to read her newest offering.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

This is my first Elizabeth Strout novel - there are some series you can jump into and this one felt *mostly* like I could without having read the other Lucy Barton novels. Though William was the subject, my favorite part of this book was Lucy's reflection on other people in general. Well written and character vs plot driven.

Brilliant and beautifully written. The story of exes who reunite to take a literary and metaphoric journey together. A stirring novel that examines relationships, choices, and the dirty business of life. Rich, multidimensional characters that are relatable and easy to root for. This novel was a delight to read.

Even though I hadn't read Lucy Barton, this book was a real page turner. Although there were digressions to the main narrative, they added to the story. Oh William! is a page turner and hard to put down.

This was a quick, easy read that I really enjoyed. Lucy and William were married at one time and had two daughters. Lucy left William and remarried, but is now a widow. William has had two additional wives and both left him. William learns a family secret concerning his late mother and asks Lucy to accompany him on a trip to Maine to explore the secret.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this very cute story.

3.5 stars! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and she does a great job exploring relationships and character development. If you’re in the mood for a novel examining big-picture topics like love and life choices, look no further! I wonder if I would have enjoyed it a little bit more if I’d read the previous two books first and had more backstory. Regardless, I still enjoyed it. Thank you to Random House for e-mailing me a free ARC - it will be available 10/19/21!

Oh Lucy! In this, the much loved eponymous heroine of one of Strout's previous novels goes on a journey with her ex-husband and in the process, as is always the way, learns as much about herself as she does about the person she's supposed to be helping. It's a lovely novel, gentle, measured, heart wrenching in the very lack of excess with which it deals with the characters' pain - William's agony on learning, too late, that he has a sister who does not want to know him; and Lucy discovering, equally too late to make a difference, that the reason for her mother in law's ambiguous attitude towards her was that she too 'came from nothing,' that any negative emotions were no doubt a projection of her own guilt, and how she felt about herself. If there is anything that I did not enjoy about this novel - and others in their reviews have picked up on this also - it is that whilst the tone of the narrator, the bumbling, hesitant, sometimes repetitive language, is believable of a character of Lucy's age and background, it is also somewhat jarring, especially in view of the constant reminders about how successful a writer she is. Nonetheless, the criticism is small and I found this an interesting and moving read.

I adore Elizabeth Stout. I was so excited about this book!
I enjoyed it, but it felt a little "plot less" to me at times. While I enjoyed the William and Lucy connections, and I can almost envision this being a TV series, It was not mentally stimulating for me.

The story of Lucy Barton continues in “Oh William!” The book could just as easily have been titled “Oh Lucy!” except that Lucy is our narrator. Background: Lucy and William were each other’s first spouses. Lucy, a novelist, left William after 20 years of marriage and eventually remarried a cellist, who has recently passed away. William went on to have two additional wives, both of whom left him as Lucy did.

But this is not the story of a divorced couple reuniting. Rather, it is William’s search to learn the truth about his deceased mother, Catherine, when an ancestry subscription unexpectedly reveals a half sibling he never knew existed. He invites Lucy to accompany him on the quest.

The novel is short, yet richly drawn. Strout is adept at creating complex, memorable characters with brevity. The prose is packed with observations on the human condition that I wanted to linger over. And I will, eventually …. but first, the urgency to find out what happens to the characters in this otherwise quiet novel had me turning the pages. Pages not just of “Oh William!” – for this book is sending me back to reread “My Name is Lucy Barton.”

(For readers who want to know if reading “My Name is Lucy Barton” is a prerequisite – not necessarily, “Oh William!” can stand alone, but you get a whole additional layer of meaning if you are familiar with “Lucy Barton.” I don’t think the same holds true for “Anything Is Possible.” The linked story collection may add some additional nuance, but isn’t necessary to appreciate “Oh William!”)

Elizabeth Strout returns with her beloved Lucy Barton, now 63, reflecting on her enduring relationship with scientist William Gerhardt, her first husband, with whom she has 2 daughters, Chrissy and Becka, leaving him after almost 20 years of marriage. Strout writes exquisitely with her understated prose, powerful, compassionate, empathetic, and profoundly moving, interspersed with her gentle humour and wit. This novel carries her trademark humanity and wisdom, her understanding of what it is to be human, with her authentic depiction of multigenerational characters, family, marriage, parenthood, friendships, trauma, love, loss, grief, loneliness, and the lifelong impact of our childhoods. She captures the resilience of the human spirit, the joys, frustrations, fears, pain, and how we can come to understand ourselves too late in life, and perhaps never comprehend those close to us.

Lucy and William have a intimate and supportive relationship that transcends their later marriages, William to Joanne, and then Estelle with whom he has a 10 year old daughter, Bridget, and Lucy, who has recently lost husband David Abramson, a Hasidic Jew, a marriage more of soulmates who understood each other and the traumas each had lived through. William and Lucy still refer to each other using their longstanding pet names, Button and Pillie, he is there for her after David's death, he still has the familiar distance and unavailability, but it does not come between them and their strong bond. When William discovers unwelcome secrets about his mother, Caroline Cole, it is to Lucy he turns, asking her to accompany him to Maine to find out more. It's a trip where each learns more about themselves and each other, I was particularly touched when William states 'You steal people's hearts, Lucy', generating a unforgettable sense of happiness in a Lucy who has always felt invisible, and a strong sense of not belonging or having a home.

One of Strout's greatest strengths are her unerring truths about humanity, and her brilliant characterisation, she left me recognising myself and others I know in elements of her characters, and I can be more forgiving of William's failings, partly because I have known so many similar men, particularly in academia. Lucy is aware that she brought her own issues to the marriage, not least the PTSD she cannot shake, acquired as a result of her family and the isolated childhood of extreme poverty in Amgash, Illinois, although she learns other truths about herself from William that come as more of a shock. The author's kindness towards and acceptance of our human flaws, and her instinctive understanding of long standing human relationships, family and marriage are at the heart of this stellar novel. A superb read that I highly recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

I was so disappointed to hear that Elizabeth's Strout's main character Lucy Barton, was in previous books that I had not read. But after reading, I quickly realized I didn't need to read them and this book can be read as a standalone. After reading this book I aim to read more of Elizabeth Strout. What a great author and I loved the characters, especially Lucy and all the good and bad, and fears and just how close she is with her ex-husband William and is willing to help him out with problems in his own family that have come to light.

I think the best quote is:"This is the way of life: the many things we do not know until its too late". I also loved Elizabeth Street's dedication of this book to her husband "and anyone that needs it-this is for you". What a beautiful thing to say. 5 stars

I felt like I was having a conversation with Elizabeth Strout as she told of her two marriages. This book was an interesting, easy read.

Hello again, Lucy Barton! Such a treat to read this lovely book about marriage, divorce and family. Lucy is still tied to William, her first husband she has divorced and had two daughters. Her second husband, the one she loved so much has died and soon after her relationship with William becomes important in their lives, watching their grown daughters lives. They support one another and reminisce about the past; his mothers secret, raising children, trying to have their own lives and more. So delicious! Thank you #NetGalley#RandomHouse#OhWilliam

This book is about the enduring bond between a divorced couple (Lucy and William), love, loss and the family secrets that can erupt and bewilder us at any point in life.

This book, and the writing, were incredible. The story of Lucy and William and reflecting on their past was done so well and had me invested for it all. It was honest, emotional and had unique storytelling. Highly recommend this book!