Ok, let's see... I can't tell exactly how much I disliked this book. While reading it I was feeling all the time that I've read it before and I would probably read this same book again, at a different time, by a different author. It's the pandemic, AGAIN. It's the accommodated middle classes waking up to social injustice AGAIN. It's a middle aged woman whining about her white people problems AGAIN. At least she is aware, so I have to give her that.
Not my bag.

This was my first Elizabeth Strout novel and imagine that I would have gotten more out of it if I had read the previous books in this series but still found it quite enjoyable. It is slower paced but thoughtful and beautifully written.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and #NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release of this novel. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

Although the pandemic was a life changing event for the entire world I feel everyone, in some way, went through everything Strout wrote about. Very insightful and personal...however, there were times when I felt like I was listening to a disjointed conversation because she didn't always complete some of the characters thoughts.

This novel was poetry written as prose, dealing with the difficult topic of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. With themes of love, loss and friendship as well as family ties, this book stirred up the old emotions that lay dormant within me as we are now out of lockdown and seeing light at the end of a difficult time in our nation. All of the panic that was felt at the time, with deaths reported daily and people working from home, trailers filled with the dead and the fear that was everywhere is realistically portrayed here. Lucy and William have been divorced for years and she is recently widowed when William contacts her and tells her that they are leaving NYC and going to stay in Maine for a while. The atmosphere in Maine is described perfectly, with the cold even in the spring months and the gray skies and coast. They fit the mood of the characters well as they deal with the unknown entity of a pandemic that no one knows when it will end or who will survive. The story is told from the point of view of Lucy, a woman who has seen a lot in life but has never seen anything like what happened during the pandemic and is grateful that William has taken her away from the city where most of the suffering seems to be taking place, There are so many poignant scenes in the book, with neighbors who care and others who are angry at William and Lucy for possibly bringing the virus to their small village. The author did wrote with fascinating details as well as with empathy for all that the population was going through and told the story with the heart of someone who wants to survive but isn’t sure that it’s possible. There are subplots about other family members, particularly personal problems of Lucy and Willam’s daughter Becka. I enjoyed the pace of the story; it was slow and methodical, just as the virus was, not rushing to tell the story but rather laying out the case for the devastation and heartbreak that people were feeling. The characters became real people to me, with real emotions that needed to be dealt with as they faced the harsh reality of a deadly virus. I cannot say that the book was a pleasure to read as much as it was cathartic, giving me a chance to reflect on my own feelings and to cleanse myself of any remaining anxiety over the entire two years spent in isolation. Having read the book, I can look back at the pandemic as something that taught us all valuable lessons and many of those lessons are covered well and with heartfelt empathy through the eyes of the narrator.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Elizabeth Strout writes character-driven novels about family, mothers, love, and loss. Lucy Barton is one of her main personalities, showing up in multiple books.
In Lucy by the Sea, Strout draws upon the pandemic for the background of the story. Lucy reluctantly agrees to go to Crosby, Maine for the lockdown with her first husband William, to escape the rampant virus spread in NYC. My reaction to Lucy in this book is like the one I had in My Name is Lucy Barton: I thought she was whiny and negative. Come to find out from her family, she has always been that way.

I found a different Lucy in the last book about her, Oh, William. Here’s what I said then:
“Stout immerses the reader into the story in a natural way. I felt as if Lucy were telling me this story over a cup of coffee in her sunshine-filled kitchen—confidentially, friend to friend. As the story progresses, we see Lucy growing while William is diminishing. William is losing his authority. Wow. Lucy Barton is finally getting there.
And my congratulations to Elizabeth Stout for another in-depth look at Lucy—I like her much better than I did earlier!”

I guess that the virus and the move from the city drove Lucy back into her natural habitat.

Like many of us during the pandemic, Lucy becomes retrospective about her life and her family. Despite her negative outlook, Lucy has some pearls of wisdom that she shares throughout the book. My favorite is her comment about becoming bigger or bitter:
“And when I found out that I had been living a parallel life, a dishonest life, it crushed me. But I have often thought that it made me a nicer person, I really do. When you are truly humbled, that can happen. I have come to notice this in life. You can become bigger or bitter, that is what I think. And as a result of that pain, I became bigger. Because I understood then how a woman could not know. It had happened, and it had happened to me.”
― Elizabeth Strout, Lucy by the Sea

Those who read Strout will remember that Crosby is home to Olive Kitteridge and Bob Burgess, characters from earlier Strout books. I think that the door has been opened to introduce whiny Lucy to blunt-talking Olive in future books. Devoted followers should be pleased to imagine those two interacting!

“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.”
― Elizabeth Strout, Lucy by the Sea

Stay tuned!

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed another book in Lucy's voice. It almost feels like a comfortable friend at this point. Always quietly moving and beautifully written!

“Lucy by the Sea” is a diary of Lucy Barton’s thoughts as she goes through the last few years. Many of our own thoughts might have been the same, but these are spoken through Elizabeth Strout’s beautiful use of language.

The writer chronicles the era of Covid from Lucy's perspective as she moves to the strange land of the Maine coast, misses her daughters, feels Covid fear and loneliness, and, with her ex-husband William, finds ways to cope. Ultimately, they find the resilience that we have all needed.

I felt that I was hearing from a good friend. Strout writes that way. My friend was telling me of her daily life, her struggles, and her good days during the pandemic.

This book will serve as a reminder of the Covid era. Sprinkled in are some of the political turmoils as well. They are not the focus, but they do add to the zeitgeist of the time.

There is no bashing you over the head with the trials and tribulations we have all been through; rather, we are treated to a subtle feeling that creeps into our souls as a memory of what we, and Lucy, have faced in the past few years.

More Lucy is Always a Good Thing

Lucy is back! Maybe a little out of character, maybe a little too newsie, but she's here and she's lovely and she's sad and confrontational. She's all of us in the pandemic. And she's still trying to figure everything out. Strout has a way with words that hooks you in and time seems to slide away. Through Lucy, she asks the questions you ask yourself, she has opinions that you can relate to or debate. She's your friend in book form. It's always a pleasure to reacquaint yourself with marvelous writing. Must Reads Lucy Barton and Oh William are far superior, but not every meal has to be chateaubriand. xo

Book review: Revisit beloved character in 'Lucy by the Sea'
By ASHLEY RIGGLESON FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR Sep 24, 2022

I read and loved Elizabeth Strout’s last novel “Oh, William!” So, when I saw readers would be hearing form Lucy Barton again in Strout’s newest work, “Lucy by the Sea,” I knew I had to review it. Whenever I read Elizabeth Strout, I know I am in good hands. “Lucy by the Sea” was no different. I loved it!

Set in the first days of the pandemic, readers meet our narrator, Lucy, when her first husband, William, suggests they move from New York to Maine in order to avoid getting sick. Though Lucy initially does not understand the severity of what is happening in the world, she agrees. And soon she and William are living in Maine together in a house by the sea. Unlike many other pandemic novels, which have breakneck plots, Strout’s approach is calm, contemplative and character focused. As Lucy lives her ordinary (for the time) daily life, she thinks about what is happening in the world. She grieves for herself, her family, and life as it once was.

To be honest, “Lucy by the Sea” does not have a lot of plot. Instead, Lucy takes long walks and uses the time to reflect on her life. Though this may sound like a criticism, I think this approach is quite purposeful and reflects the caged feeling many of us had in the pandemic’s early days. Strout uses this device to explore, with sensitivity and depth, the intersection between what is happening in the world and Lucy’s private losses and regrets. The writing is filled with such compassion and wisdom, and Lucy’s elegant but melancholy voice felt, to me, to be perfect for capturing the turmoil of the last few years.

I have read many of Strout’s earlier works and have grown to care for all of her characters, including Lucy. And “Lucy by the Sea” made me care for her all the more. It’s true.

I was not in this latest for the plot, but I still hated to tear myself away from this beautiful, character-driven novel. I related to Lucy so much that I was hooked from start to finish. And the best part? Strout, it seemed to me, left some aspects of Lucy’s life unresolved, and there is plenty of room for Strout to return to Lucy’s story once again. I hope she does. I love these novels, and I am hungry for more.

This review was originally printed in The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, VA.

We return to Lucy Barton in Elizabeth Strout's 'Lucy by the Sea.' If you don't appreciate pandemic politics in your books this is probably one to skip. However, once you look at the writing and characters it is well developed and beautifully constructed.

My only thought as I read this was I can’t wait to finish this one. Unfortunately not in a good way. I may be an outlier here with my opinion but it’s an honest one. I have read many books by Elizabeth Strout, including the first 3 books in this series. I was excited to read about Lucy and William, to see how they have been doing. The story opens at the start of the pandemic. I loved how William took charge and got Lucy out of NY a city. He took care of everything. Even though they had been divorced for years, their friendship has never ended. Once they get to Maine they fall into a quiet routine. They worry about their daughters and their friends they left behind. But they don’t really have any moments between themselves. It is kind of slow moving, to be honest. Then out of no where Lucy starts talking about George Floyd, the riots of the summer of 21 and politics. That’s when I was done. I have read a few books about the pandemic and they were about good things that came from such tragedy. How every day people become hero’s. This was more of a political rant and I just didn’t want to read a story that dragged out the mundane aspects of the pandemic. I am grateful to Netgalley and the author for my copy of Lucy by the Sea, for an honest review. It is always a pleasure to read and review books.. Not all reads are 5 stars but I will always give an author I have read before another chance. This was a 3 star read for me, What were your thoughts?

Lucy by the Sea follows Lucy Barton during the early days of the COVID pandemic. Isolated with her ex husband far away from her home, Lucy and William find comfort in their own love.
Enjoyed revisiting these characters and seeing hope and happiness within the pandemic. Good read.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Random House in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy by the Sea is the fourth book in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series. The story begins when the reader’s dear friend, Lucy Barton, leaves New York City in March 2020 at the behest of her ex-husband, Dr. William Gerhardt. William, a parasitologist, wants to save Lucy from the impending pandemic by having them live together in a small town on the coast of Maine for a few weeks. Of course, as Covid cases surge, their self-imposed lock-down in Maine goes from weeks to months to over a year.

Lucy’s fear, concern, and bewilderment over the pandemic are palatable throughout the story. We follow her as she navigates living with the man who cheated on her during their marriage, problems with her two daughters, the loss of her life in New York, and the stressful political climate around the 2020 presidential election, the January 6th attack, and the riots after the death of George Floyd. Lucy reminds us that “We are all in lockdown, all the time. We just don’t know it, that’s all. But we do the best we can. Most of us are just trying to get through.”

I do not recommend this book as a stand-alone. The series is best read in order to understand the characters’ development.

4.5-stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This novel was published on September 20, 2022.

Such a great novel following Lucy through her stages of wrapping her mind around COVID, what it means for her life, her children and her relationship with her ex, William. We follow the early days and somewhat denial of impact to her life. The trek from NYC to Maine and her processing of the challenge were so relatable as we all went through our own journey from what home and work were to what our isolation became. My heart broke for her as she grieved her losses and warmed for her as she realized her gains. This was my first novel by this author and I’ll be gobbling up many more in the years to come

Lucy by the Sea could be subtitled “A Novel of the Pandemic.” Tracing Lucy Barton’s experiences from the seemingly innocuous “two weeks to slow the spread” to the realization that nothing could be further from the truth, Elizabeth Strout realistically captures this slice of time through the eyes of an engaging protagonist who’s featured in several of her previous novels.

As fans have come to expect, Strout’s expertise at pacing and voice is on full display in this latest offering. The reader is immersed from page one, joining Lucy in her ruminations about relationships, faith, loyalty, and daily life. Lucy is someone you would enjoy spending an afternoon with, and the reader can see some genuine growth in her character as the story develops.

Through Lucy’s musings, Strout effectively articulates the common fears and judgments ignited by the pandemic, and these fears will resonate with many readers. In some instances, characterizations and plot lines reinforce the prevailing stereotypes of the time. For example, the parents of Lucy’s son-in-law are depicted as reckless non-maskers who, after having spent several carefree months in Florida, return to Connecticut; of course, they both get Covid soon after their return, and the husband is hospitalized for ten days. The reader has a sense that karma is an authorial choice here, a way of illustrating the wages of a cavalier attitude toward the virus. Similarly, Lucy’s fundamentalist Christian sister, Vicky, is portrayed as a conspiracy theorist (as in “the government is trying to force us to wear masks”), so when Vicky is hospitalized with Covid and on a respirator, it feels like karma again: the gullible fundamentalist who attends church in person and relies on God to protect her is getting what she asked for. This seems a bit contrived to me, but other readers who experienced Covid differently might not agree.

All in all, Strout followers will enjoy this novel. They will be happy to know that Olive Kitteridge is mentioned (more than once!), and Bob Burgess plays a strong supporting role. If you appreciate Strout’s body of work—and I do—you will not be disappointed!

I really did not care for this book at all.
The book is set starting at the beginning of the Covid pandemic through about the Jan 6 insurrection.
I think this is all too fresh and current for me to enjoy.
I could of course relate to many of the feelings the characters had, but honestly, it's like reading a book about 9/11 three months later.
It is still too fresh, and the pandemic is STILL an issue.
If you want to read about how challenging the pandemic was for a person of means then this is your book.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I haven't read any of the previous novels featuring Lucy Barton, but this worked fine as a stand-alone. Lucy's first husband William convinces her to come live with him in a friend's house in Maine to get away from the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Stuck together in an isolated setting, most of the novel is Lucy reminiscing about her life, past experiences and current concerns. It is a well-written, contemplative novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout is another great Lucy book. Start with My Name Is Lucy Barton if you haven’t read any of them. Strout really knows how to write a character. Her prose is spare and real. I don’t really identify with Lucy, she’s kind of irritating, but there’s something about her I love as she searches for connection. There are lots of new releases set during the pandemic and this is Strout’s version. Lucy and her ex hunker down in a rental house in Maine to get out of the city during the pandemic and she experiences many of the same tragedies and feelings of loneliness felt the world over. It was comforting to read in a way.
Recommended.

If you have never read a book by Elizabeth Strout, do yourself a favor, and pick one up. When I was invited to read an ARC (advanced reader copy) I hesitated at first because I didn't really want to read a novel about the pandemic; however, I know what a talented writer Strout is, so I accepted the offer.
Lucy’s ex-husband, William, whisks Lucy off to a small town on the coast of Maine at the beginning of the pandemic. He still loves her and doesn’t want her in harm’s way especially since she lives in Manhattan, NY. He also makes sure their two daughters and husbands are safe as well.
The novel describes how we deal, or not deal very well, with the fear, frustration, and stress of being isolated. However, it also illustrates the wonderful things that can occur when we have more time to self-reflect and communicate with others.
Strout, through Lucy, illustrates such empathy for all of mankind. She is the kind of writer that writes in a way that is intimate, moving, and full of Oh, I feel that way too moments. While reading you feel like you are listening to a person who could be your close friend.
Here are a few examples of passages that I liked:
“I did not speak of this to William. William likes to fix things, and this could not be fixed. And, I also understood: Grief is a private thing. God, is it a private thing.”
“It’s odd how the mind does not take in anything until it can.”
"Who knows why people are different? We are born with a certain nature, I think. And then the world takes its swings at us."
This was a delightful read that I highly recommend.

*A very special thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this ARC.

Elizabeth Strout is a Pulitzer Prize winning author for her publication Olive Kitteridge. Her newest novel, Lucy by the Sea, is the fourth book loosely connected by Lucy Barton. Strout accurately captures the events around the COVID=19 pandemic, as well the political climate occurring at the same time. I was not sure I was ready for such a detailed reelection on how the last few years impacted one family, but I jumped right in and soon was reading when I should have been sleeping. What a challenge to revisit the emotions that we experienced as we feared the spread of the disease and the unknown future we were facing! Living in the center of the nation where we are more spread out than those living in Northeast, our experience was a little different, but so many of the elements were similar. Strout is an excellent wordsmith and I was right back in 2020-2021 as I read her beautiful words.