William was Lucy's first husband. They had two daughters both now grown up. Lucy has just lost her second husband whilst William has another daughter and a wife who has just left him.
A chance encounter has bought them into each others lives again.
this causes Lucy to recount life with William before and through their marriage and the birth of their daughters.the good and the bad times and her relationship with William's mother
.This is a story of life, love, loss and family.

Oh William! is Strout’s new book (out later this month) and it’s the third in the Amgash series, following on from My Name Is Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible. Lucy is our narrator again, this time introducing us to her first husband William, who she divorced years ago but with whom she remains on good terms. They have two grown up daughters together and William is now married to his third wife, Estelle.

When one of their daughters gifts William a “find your ancestors” type present, a whole host of family secrets come tumbling out, and William asks Lucy to embark on a trip to Maine with him to help uncover his past. The trip leads to them examining their marriage, their friendship and life in general.

It’s written in Strout’s signature unadorned prose and her distinctive turns of phrase are dotted throughout. Admittedly, the Oh Lucy! and Oh William! schtick wore a bit thin by the end for me, but the beauty of Strout’s writing is in its simplicity. There’s a quiet wisdom in her stories, a gentle stroll through all life’s travails, and an acceptance of just how unknowable each of us really is. 3.5-4/5 ⭐️

*Oh William! will be published on 21 October 2021. I was delighted to read an advance digital copy of the book courtesy of the publisher @penguinukbooks and @netgalley.*

I’ve not read any other books by Elizabeth Strout but I was aware that Lucy Barton, the main character here, held a special place in people’s hearts from a previous work. Therefore I came to this novel with no preconceptions but with eagerness to know what had charmed them so.

But oh, Lucy! You have a mixed catalogue of frequent and rather irritating turns of phrase which I couldn’t help noticing whenever they appeared. They almost succeeded in turning this reader off, if it hadn’t been for the author’s gifted storytelling prose.

I wanted to shake both Lucy and her demanding ex-husband William at times for their strange manner of speech and odd behaviour combined. Though I was curious to discover how the story panned out and how satisfactory their relationship might prove to be when the end was reached.

I found it touching and tender in places, largely due to the writer’s skill with the characters’ back stories. But much of it didn’t hold my interest all the way through because it reads more like a disjointed diary than anything else.

I really wanted to love it but I’m afraid I didn’t. Perhaps I’d have enjoyed this novel more if I’d read the earlier Lucy Barton book or others by Elizabeth Strout. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC.

It is always a delight to catch up with Lucy Barton and her thoughts and feelings on life. While linked to her first two books this is also a fine stand alone story. Lucy was William's first wife and left him but remained in touch on an amicable basis. Partly linked by their two daughters but much more by their friendship. We meet up with them following the death of Lucy's second husband. It is a warm story with so many insights into human nature which will resonate in some part with everyone.

I quite enjoyed this title of Elizabeth Strout’s. I have read her previous books and enjoyed reading more about the life of Lucy Barton. It is a little self indulgent and does read like a very long conversation Lucy is having with herself. However you do learn more about Lucy, William, her two grown up children and her late husband. This is a very easy to read book and doesn’t tax the brain too much. I will give it four stars but ideally it would be three and a half

Another well written book about Lucy Barton, Lucy was married to William, got divorced and went onto remarry. William had affairs which broke up the marriage. They have a good relationship and William find out some information and they go and find out if it’s true.

Elizabeth writes very well, but I did find the book a tad boring. It’s a short book so quick to read. I do feel you need to have read the previous books in this series before reading this one. 3.5 stars

I’m afraid that Oh, William! didn’t do it for me. I loved My Name Is Lucy Barton and both Olive Kitteridge books, but this really didn’t have anything like the same appeal; I struggled to well past half way but then gave up.

These are Lucy’s reminiscences of more of her life, especially with William, her first husband. This time I found Lucy’s narrative voice rather mannered, with her repeated little verbal habits like “...this is what I’m saying here,” or several instances of “I don’t want to say any more about that...” and then going on to say a good deal more about it. I’m sure it’s intended to be a representation of a genuine person’s voice, but for me it didn’t work this time. Also, the story which emerged in I Am Lucy Barton is beautifully structured, horrifying but ultimately humane and, for me, utterly riveting. Here, I really wasn’t all that bothered about what was happening. Elizabeth Strout makes some of her usual penetrating character studies and the odd shrewd take on aspects of life which kept me going for a while, but overall it didn’t grip me at all.

So, I’m sorry to be critical of an author whose other work I have liked and admired but this one really wasn’t for me and I can’t really recommend it.

(My thanks to Penguin Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)

With 'Oh William,' Elizabeth Strout provides another masterclass in writing complex characters.

Now in her 60's, Lucy Barton is looking back on her life, and in particular her relationship with her first husband William. The two have remained friends, and after the breakdown of his third marriage they go on a trip together to make sense of William's background and mother.

Strout's writing is as ever emotionally astute and powerful. Rather than telling the reader how to feel about the characters, she presents different examples of their actions/dialogue which are often contradictory, and leaves the reader to decide.

I would highly recommend this novel. Whilst her previous novels are alluded to, this one can stand alone.

It's so easy to see why Elizabeth Strout has won or been nominated for so many literary awards. Her writing style of the ordinary is not only extraordinary but perfection. I believe I would rate her grocery list five stars, that's how much I enjoy her writing. I felt like I was at a coffee shop sitting down and sharing stories with my good friend, Lucy Barton, while I was reading this amazing book...Lucy and I are best buds now. How can a book that is a mere 245 pages make one feel so much? I really can't do this novel justice in my review, but I will say...All. The. Stars.

This was a comforting return to the world of Lucy Barton. Elizabeth Strout has a very definite style, writing from the point of view of an everyday woman, highlighting the strangeness that every life includes once you look at it reflectively. This sequel involves Lucy looking back at her life with her first husband William after her second husband has died, I loved the deftly drawn and explained relationships, and the way small, everyday details and relationships were described. Lucy can be a tricky character to like and understand, but I enjoyed this slice of life. One to read if you enjoyed Lucy Barton.

This novel by Elizabeth Strout revisits a much-loved character of hers, Lucy Barton.

Lucy was married to William but she left him and her second husband has recently died. During the course of the novel, Lucy and William go on a road trip to find out more about his discovered half-sister. They find her but the outcome is not what either anticipated.

The story is told from Lucy's viewpoint. She is a writer and so we get several flashbacks, of her troubled childhood and adolescence, her marriage to William, and her second husband, David. Lucy and William's two daughters and their half-sister also feature.

There is a great deal of affection between Lucy and William, but also deep frustration at times. Lucy feels inadequate and invisible, and can sometimes appear needy; however, she has strength of character and insight. She can see the strengths and flaws of others, but naturally also sees them in herself. This causes problems for her and heightens her sense of not belonging.

William is an interesting character. He is an academic with a sense of inferiority. Like Lucy, he is emotionally dependent. He can appear distant and aloof. His mother, another complex character, is introduced at various points in the narrative and we learn that she abandoned William's half-sister.

As events progress, we find Lucy and William drawing closer together, connected by their mutual love and respect and the daughters they share. It is Lucy that William often turns to, not his second wife Estelle, when he needs someone he can trust and talk to.

I enjoyed this novel, although hadn't read My Name is Lucy Barton, the previous book featuring this character and will do so now. Elizabeth Strout is adept at shedding light on the frailties and insecurities of her characters and their motives, and in so doing draws us into Lucy's narrative. It is poignant and bittersweet at times, but there is always a thread of hope. Even when Lucy and William's road trip doesn't have the hoped-for outcome, something is still gained and the book ends optimistically.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Penguin General UK, in return for an honest appraisal.

This is the first book by this author I've read, having seeing it recommended in various places.
The style is not so much a novel, more of a conversation,a rather long tedious one at that. Her writing might be acclaimed as award winning but to me it was a series rambling memories of no interest except to Lucy.
It might to some appeal,a insightful view of the nuances of marriage, but I'd question whether it is a case of The Emperor's New Clothes.
I'll give it two stars as it seemingly is rated to a lot of readers.
Not one I'd recommend.

Oh William! is the third novel in the Amgash series by best-selling, Pulitzer Prize winning American author, Elizabeth Strout. Not long widowed and still very much grieving her second husband, David Abramson, Lucy Barton relates recent events in the life of her first husband, William Gerhardt.

Two life-changing things that occur in fairly short succession see her travelling with William to Maine to perhaps connect with a relative of whom William was, until recently, unaware. It’s a journey of many revelations, both about newly-discovered family, those already departed, each other and themselves.

Lucy’s narrative comes across as a little rambling, at first, but it soon becomes clear that all those casual asides, those frequently inserted anecdotes from earlier, are given to illustrate a certain point, a feeling, an opinion.

Musing on what she had with each husband, she tells the reader that even though “At times in our marriage I loathed him. I saw, with a kind of dull disc of dread in my chest, that with his pleasant distance, his mild expressions, he was unavailable”, William was her home, that she felt safe in his presence.

She does not talk much about David, noting what they had in common “It is hard to describe what it is like when one is raised in such isolation from the outside world. So we became each other’s home. But we— both of us felt this way—we felt that we were perched like birds on a telephone wire in New York City” and concluding that “David was a tremendous comfort to me.”

Strout gives her characters palpable emotions, wise words and insightful observations. When Lucy is unable to understand why William married her, a nothing, he tells her: “Lucy, I married you because you were filled with joy. You were just filled with joy. And when I finally realized what you came from—when we went to your house that day to meet your family and tell them we were getting married, Lucy, I almost died at what you came from. I had no idea that was what you came from. And I kept thinking, But how is she what she is? How could she come from this and have so much exuberance? …. There has never been anyone in the world like you. You steal people’s hearts, Lucy.”

Strout’s writing, both in style and subject matter, is reminiscent of Sebastian Barry with shades of Anne Tyler. Strout writes about ordinary people leading what they believe are ordinary lives (although there are definitely some quirky ones doing strange things amongst them) and does it with exquisite yet succinct prose. Another powerful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin UK Viking.

Oh William! This is such a simple proclamation but the meaning is in the delivery and the nuance. This is a story of love and family. It is also about personal discovery, reinvention and forgiveness. The author reintroduces the reader to Lucy Barton and we learn more about her relationship to her first husband William Gerhardt, in particular as she supports him come to terms with revelations from his family history. In doing so Lucy reflects on her own relationships with him, their daughters, and their mothers in particular. This provides rich material for a meditative novel which is beautifully written, insightful, moving and memorable.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for a review copy.

With this new book in her Amgash series, Eizabeth Strout has taken us back into the life of her popular character Lucy Barton. Lucy is now 63 and has recently lost her second husband and soul mate, David. She has kept in touch with her first husband, William, the father of her two daughters and he has been helping her with her finances. Now 70 and married to a much younger woman with whom he has a ten year old daughter, William and Lucy still have a warm and friendly relationship and a better understanding of each other than they had when they were still married. When William finds out something shocking about his dead mother, Lucy agrees to accompany him on a trip back to her home town to find out more.

Oh William! is a delightful book, focused on William and Lucy in their later years. Lucy uncovers secrets and revelations about their marriage and William’s mother, Catherine Cole, with who she always felt awkward. Despite being a popular published author and having raised two adult daughters Lucy is still haunted by her isolated and impoverished childhood and still lacks confidence in herself. The conversational style of Strout’s writing makes you feel as if you are a confidant of Lucy’s, listening in on her inner thoughts and unspoken comments, often astute and sometimes humorous. Her characters feel so real and human and her depictions of their feelings and thoughts are so insightful. A lovely book, particularly for fans of Lucy Barton.

I liked this and like the way the story was of the day to day and nothing outlandish or extraordinary took away from the characters. Thoughtful, real, interesting.

I love Elizabeth Strout's style of writing, but I'm not sure this was her best book. Fortunately I was able to read it in one session and see the world through the eyes of Lucy and appreciate the way Ms Strout used it to look at universal truths about life and love
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

In Oh William, we follow Lucy Barton, later in her life, as she reflects on her relationships with her family and her first husband, William. Lucy’s second husband recently passed away and, not long after, she ends up offering support to William when he discovers he has a long-lost relative that his mother had never mentioned before. Thus, they go on a trip to try to reconnect with this newly found relative.

It was so illuminating to hear a clear, real, genuine, natural voice talk with you honestly, sharing her memories, coming clean about her complex feelings, self-critiquing about herself, her life choices and the realistic friendship she’s formed with her husband William for years even their marriage failed, her sincerity and the way she tells her story like you’re talking to her face to face.

The book is very short - two chapters so can easily be read in one sitting! The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Oh Elizabeth! Such a terrific novel!
It's all about Lucy and a chance meeting with her first husband, William. Lucy just comes alive on the page thanks to Elizabeth Strout's brilliant and, seemingly effortless, writing. The story is a simple one but then it's all down to how you tell it. Lucy has craved security and companionship all her life and indeed found it with her second husband who died just a couple of years prior to her bumping into William again. Lucy is a stronger woman now and is able to encourage William to go on a journey to investigate his past. It is the interaction and deep understanding between William and Lucy that allows the trip to be a success and, in a manner of speaking, it provides closure to both on their traumatic childhoods.
A book that radiates empathy and kindness. We need more books like this.

I would recommend reading My Name Is Lucy Barton before reading Oh William! as it refers so much to the first book. Much as I am a fan of Elizabeth Strout, and have read all her books, I did not enjoy this sequel to Lucy Barton as much as the original. The same happened when I read Olive Again, while Olive Kitteridge blew my mind.

Nevertheless Oh William! is a good read just as one would expect from Ms. Strout. Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the opportunity to read and review it.