This is a story that really resonated with me as Lucy lives through the first part of the pandemic and shutdown that we have all just experienced with the Covid 19 pandemic. The story is told in a kind of stream of consciousness manner so it almost seems to be conversational and at times a little disjointed. But it mirrored very closely my feelings during the early part of the pandemic and shutdown. Confusion, fear, disbelief, more fear, loneliness, longing for contact with friends and family. And finally quiet acceptance that this would be our way for life for a long time to come. And yet even during a pandemic and shutdown, real life continues. People have to figure out how to work under the new restrictions and they discover that they really don't need to go to an office to be productive on their jobs. People get sick, some people die, spouses have affairs, marriages end, other relationships start and in the midst of it all, friendships start and grow. Even with new parameters of how to interact with friends. This was an enjoyable read and reassuring that I wasn't the only one with this whole range of emotions and reactions to our ever-changing circumstances.

Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy by the Sea is my first foray into literature taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s likely I’ve avoided it for a reason (my industry was shutdown) as the memories of what was so completely unknown are still very fresh. We’ve met our titular Lucy before and, as in Strout’s other novels, we are simply privy to this chapter of her life.

Lucy by the Sea is more than the description (divorced couple forced into each other’s lives by the pandemic) will lead you to believe. As with Oh William, Strout’s companion to Lucy by the Sea published in 2021, Lucy does not so much leap off the page as she does infiltrate your conscience. Lucy navigates the fear and uncertainty typical in any life, especially one in which an unexpected and untimely loss has occurred, but that was heightened by the pandemic and all that came along with it.

As we’ve come to expect, Strout’s writing remains as sharp as ever. Descriptions of settings and people are realistic but never flashy. Her word choose is precise; it never feels as though there are too many of them.

What does life have in store for Lucy? We can only hope that Strout has the answer and that she’ll let us in on it soon.

It was inevitable that the COVID lockdown entered the realm of fiction: after all, it is an historic event and to be honest, I was rather interested to see how authors incorporated the many aspects of life during COVID into novels. That brings me to Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy by the Sea, a seemingly child-like title which belies the reality… or does it?


Lucy is a reappearing character in several Strout novels: My Name is Lucy Barton (have to backtrack to read this one), Anything is Possible, and Oh, William. In Oh, William, Elizabeth Strout gave us a first hand look at the after-marriage of Lucy Barton and her X-William. In that novel, writer Lucy Barton, freshly widowed from her second husband, becomes embroiled in the life of her self-focused X when his much-younger wife, unsurprisingly, moves onto fresher pastures. William is a Dickhead. Selfish, self-focused, not, I suppose a ‘bad’ man, but in his prime a serial adulterer who now aged 70 seems as little aware of the damage he caused as when he had numerous affairs.

Lucy by the Sea takes us to COVID lockdown. Lucy, like many people, hears about the virus tangentially in the news but William, who after all is/was a scientist, takes the news very seriously indeed and drives Lucy to a rental house in Maine for the duration. This is not an action novel by any means–instead this is Lucy’s tale as she sits out the virus–until vaccination time that is. So it’s a novel about waiting, watching the news and missing loved ones. In other words, this is a relatable novel. Bob Burgess makes an appearance as a supporting character. He helps arrange the Maine rental, and when the situation allows, he and his wife Margaret visit Lucy and William, maintaining social distance of course. For Lucy, this period takes on a dream like-quality. Watching the news, seeing the deaths, from a safe distance, seems almost surreal. Lucy and William’s two daughters Chrissy and Becka, each have their own crises during lockdown and Lucy cannot run to their sides to help. She can only wait for news at a distance. Bob Burgess (The Burgess Boys) is a kindred spirit to Lucy and helps with William and Lucy’s Maine transition.

In Oh, William, a highly enjoyable read, a great deal of the delight came from Lucy’s observations of William, a selfish sod whose world consists of two daughters, ex-wife Lucy and his much younger wife and third daughter who have just left him. William’s two adult daughters and Lucy seem to spend a great deal of time worrying about William–a man whose self-focus guarantees he puts himself first. In Lucy by the Sea, William appears to be thinking of someone else for a change.

When I read the synopsis of the novel, I thought Poor Lucy… imagine being in lockdown with that prick for a year.. but Elizabeth Strout chooses not to play the novel that way. I had imagined them driving each other crazy, and while that does happen to a mild degree, lockdown pushes William into protective mode, and brings panic attacks to Lucy. What happened to William’s dickheadedness? Or does COVID bring out the best in William–at last? Is his desire to ‘save’ Lucy sincere or is her just using COVID to control her? Strout does a wonderful job of recreating a COVID lockdown experience (many varieties exist): the ennui, the feeling of suspended animation, the heartbreak of being unable to have physical contact with family, and the bitter crunch of being housebound 24/7 with someone whose habits drive you around the bend. At some point, I became disappointed with the plot, but I came to that conclusion too soon. Ultimately, Elizabeth Strout did not disappoint me. There’s a wonderful scene with William and Lucy in which William confesses that he wished he had lived his life better:

“Oh Lucy, come on. I sit here and think over my life , and I think, Who have I been? I have been an idiot.”

“In what way?”

I asked him. And interestingly he answered first about his profession. “I have taught student after student after student, but did I make a real contribution to science? No.”

I opened my mouth, but he held up his hand to stop me.

“And on a personal level, look how I have lived my life.” I thought he must have been talking about his affairs. But he was not.

Lucy had a terrible childhood, and now in her 60s, she is, to this reader, surprisingly childlike. That kind of abuse creates permanent damage, yet somehow Lucy is cocooned by her belief in the beauty of the world. In her head she has created an imaginary mother–a loving kind mother who supports her and comforts her. It’s a great coping mechanism. Lucy is a believable character because she is so consistent. She never acts outside of the character created by Strout. To this reader, Lucy is remarkable because she is so good in spite of all her horrible experiences. But, at the same time, even though Lucy is good and believable, she is a little vanilla. Lucy is an observer of the world more than anything, and she is a passive character. In Oh, William, William’s dickheadedness added spike and spice to the plot, and there were times when even Lucy got sick of him. Olive Kitteridge appears in the sidelines and there were times I longed for Olive’s acidic tongue. She would make short work of William.

There’s a sequel here. I know it. And the big boom is coming.

review copy.

In book #4 of the Amgash series, Strout presents a poignant, journal-style, first person account of one New York family’s experiences with the COVID pandemic and quarantine. While everyone has their own COVID story to tell, Strout takes it a step farther. Lucy by the Sea demonstrates how, even in the face of complete disruption, life went on with all of its drama, tragedy, change, self-discovery, and growth.

Just like each of us, Lucy's life changed with pandemic. She found many changes in her life and an uncertain future. Just like many of us, she takes it day by day as the events of the times unfolded. This is the first book I have read that is set during the Covid-19 pandemic. Being this is so recent, and we are still affected by it, Elizabeth Strout does a wonderful job of portraying the feelings and thoughts during this fearsome time. I related to Lucy, many of her fears and thoughts I experienced. I found myself in a new state in a different home, with constant worry about family, friends and what my life was to become, and fearful of loss. This book for me was a five-star read, I really enjoyed it. I found it made me feel a bit less alone dealing with my own thoughts and emotions of the times. Like being around a good friend, I didn't want my time with Lucy by the Sea to end.

If you’ve been following along with Elizabeth Strout as she shares across novels (My Name Is Lucy Barton, Anything is Possible, and Oh, William!) the deep life story and relationships of Lucy Barton, then you will love this book. It embodies short snippets of Lucy’s reflections as she escapes NYC with her ex-husband William and heads to a reclusive rural house in Maine on the ocean to escape the pandemic.

Lucy’s overwhelmed with the strangeness of suddenly becoming reclusive, of the almost unbearable length of pandemic isolation with no end in sight, and deepening worries about her two daughters living far away. The book captures moments of her disbelief, confusion, flashback memories, and being forced to reflect on what makes a life worth living. Lucy also has a reckoning about her relationship to William, with newfound closeness catching her by surprise, especially as she’s still processing grief over the death of her second husband. Her daughters both have their own ongoing traumas in their marriages unraveling, in addition to being appalled at their Mom’s growing feelings about William. There’s also a savvy capturing of the hostility of some of the Maine locals, who fervently wish that all the displaced city folk just leave their small town alone.

Many of Lucy’s reflections hit home – from moments such as having outside drinks with neighbors while social distancing to her deep dismay over the political divides with Trump in office, George Floyd’s murder, and the rise of the “Black Lives Matter” movement during the heart of the pandemic. It’s the first book I’ve read that emotionally captures the turmoil of lockdown as well as the tension consuming the nation. We also get the thrill of appearances in the novel of Olive Kitteridge and the Burgess boys from other of Strout’s novels.

All in all, a poignant read that leaves you wanting more Lucy and how she’ll rebuild her life post-pandemic.


Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Given the opportunity to read this one early, it turned out to be the first book within the Amgash series that I truly enjoyed. This is not rare for me to fail to enjoy books that are popular and on the best seller lists, but I am glad I gave it another shot and finally really liked a Lucy book!
It is of course very relatable for all of us living through pandemic times, and this is basically a journal of all the latest doings in Lucy's world, now moved from New York to Maine. Several major family things happen, but I won't spoil it by sharing details. It is a thoughtful representation of experiences during pandemic in America.

NetGalley advanced copy

Thank you for this delightful return to Lucy and William. I especially loved the reference to Olive. Though I personally do not look forward to books that describe the pandemic, this was an interesting way to tell the story of those times.

This was my third Elizabeth Strout book, and I didn’t know until I finished it that it is the fourth book involving Lucy Barton, so I guess I’ll be visiting my local library soon so I can get caught up on Lucy’s life. I liked Lucy as much as I liked Olive Kittridge. I can certainly relate to both characters – older women living in Maine and what they have to deal with. These Maine women are strong and don’t put up with a lot of nonsense. They are both women I would like to be friends with if they were real. I was glad Olive was mentioned a couple of times in this one, so I know she’s still kicking. In this story, Lucy is an author living in NYC when the COVID pandemic starts. Her ex-husband, William, father of her grown daughters, wants to get them both out of the city, so he rents a place on the coast of Maine where they will be more isolated. I can certainly relate to being isolated on the coast of Maine. I still wear my mask in stores and mostly only go out to do chores. William gets to know his stepsister, who also lives in Maine, and gets a job at the university. Lucy makes a few friends and does a lot of thinking about her life, while she writes her latest novel. I could really relate to these particular lines, “I thought of how my life had become so different from what I had ever imagined for myself during these – my last – years,.” and “I could not stop feeling that life as I had known it was gone.” I can’t tell you how many times my bf and I have said to each other, “I never imagined that this is what my retirement would be.” Lucy let me know that Kate & I are not the only Maine women who think this. I loved this book and can’t wait to learn more about Lucy. I would like to thank Penguin Random House, Elizabeth Strout and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC free for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author and I didn’t realize it was part of a series. That being said, I loved the author’s writing style and enjoyed this book as a stand-alone. I have already added the previous books to my TBR list!

4.5 stars. This book may not be for everyone because it is set during the pandemic, but I love Elizabeth Strout’s books and more specifically her characters so much that anything by her is a hit for me. She has an uncanny ability to feel what it feels to be another person and her writing style is so unique that it can be recognized immediately. She interweaves her characters so they can sometimes pop in unexpectedly, like a familiar friend. Her insights of what it is to be human are unmatched. Her books are shortish and I think that helps too. Every word and sentence are written with purpose. There are so many “yes, I feel that too” moments.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. It is available 9/20/22. Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. This was another five star read for me. I really enjoyed the book.

Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout

So this was an arc I received. I didn’t realize it was the same characters from a book I have on my shelf that I haven’t read yet. It can be read as a stand alone. It is heavy on the pandemic! If you don’t want to be reminded of those times then this isn’t the book for you.

Elizabeth Strout has such an easy way of writing. It’s like lying in a hammock and chatting with an old friend. No judgements, but lots of self-reflection and thoughtful conversation.

Different but great. I read many reviews stating they didn’t like the “stream of conscious” writing the author used but it suited me fine. I wouldn’t enjoy all books being in this style but it was perfect for this story. It’s written in a way that’s so easy to connect with. And while it’s an average woman’s take on living during the Pandemic, it’s written so well, with much truth and emotion, so that the reader can easily picture the story playing out. Again, not a wild story, just a regular one but written so beautifully. I truly enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of Lucy by the Sea in exchange for an honest review. I have read other books by Elizabeth Strout, but none in the Lucy Barton series. It wasn't necessary to read the other books in the series to understand what was going on. However, that being said, the Lucy Barton series is apparently a very popular series, based on all the 4-5 star reviews. Lucy by the Sea is an OK book. It is about Lucy Barton and how she spends the first year of the pandemic. As most of us recall, the first year of the pandemic was fairly boring as we couldn't do anything. Well, Lucy can't do anything either. Therefore the story moves sort of slow. It's not a bad story, you don't have to keep track of a lot of characters and there's not a lot of anything else to keep track of. A nice easy read.

Elizabeth Strout is a fantastic writer and I have come to love Lucy and her family. It was very smart to explore the pandemic (and Black Lives Matter protests and presidential election and January 6 insurrection) through the eyes of these beloved characters.

That said, this is an excellent book that just feels a little too close to the events it describes. It reads like historical fiction, but its take on the world-shaking year that was 2020 - insightful and compassionate, as it may be - was understandably also very raw, I don't know if it's just that it's too close to *me* or too close to the author, but I doubt I'll be the only reader who struggled with this. It felt more like it was reopening newly healed wounds, instead of offering the kind of helpful perspective-taking that only time can provide.

But this is very well-done and is, on the whole successful. I will recommend it to readers, but with a substantial content warning.

A mini-review will appear on my blog on September 17, 2022.

A SMALL GEM OF A BOOK

This short novel is a gem. It’s beautifully written (every word perfectly chosen, no unnecessary words). And the story is strangely compelling. I breezed through it in two days, because once
I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down.

I read and enjoyed "Olive Kitteridge" some years ago.

And I vaguely remember Lucy Barton showing up in that book, although I don’t recall the details.

So when "Lucy by the Sea" became available on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it.

THIS BOOK WORKS AS A STANDALONE

Even though I haven’t read the previous three novels in the [book: Amgash|60657583], this worked as a
standalone novel.

It filled in enough of the backstory that I easily understood what was happening.

After reading this, I will certainly go back and read the other three books.

LUCY BARTON VS. OLIVE KITTERIDGE

Lucy is certainly an entirely different person than the domineering and abrasive Olive.

She is very sensitive and transparent. She picks up on what’s happening with people and gets the right way to speak to them.

She is not worldly. She says she’s “stupid about the world”.

She is loving and kind. She loves her family. She loves other people. She even loves the characters in her stories (she is a fiction writer).

She is fragile at times, subject to occasional panic attacks.

So it’s not surprising that the words are beautiful, since Lucy is the narrator.

I liked Olive, but I prefer Lucy. I identified with her.

COMPELLING STORY

The story takes place during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City.

Lucy and her two kids all flee the city, although they end up in different places: Lucy in Maine and the girls in Connecticut.

Lucy loves New York City, and at first Maine is difficult for her.

But things improve. She makes friends there.

Her daughters, Becka and Chrissy, go through their own dramas.

Here's a memorable pandemic related quote from Lucy:

”We are all in lockdown, all the time.
We just don't know it, that's all."

SUMMARY

What a lovely book! I’m so glad I got to read this.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#LucybytheSea #NetGalley

I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Strout and eagerly dove into Lucy by the Sea. Starting during the early days of the pandemic, Strout through Lucy captures the disbelief and confusion in March 2020 which then led us into a completely different way of living, with masks, social distancing, and the continuous washing of hands, packages, etc. Mostly, this is a very interior novel, as we are privy to Lucy's thoughts and fears as she and her former husband, William decamp from New York City to Maine. As always, characters from other Strout novels make cameos, but they do not feel forced. A quiet novel, and one of the first novels permeated by the pandemic, it realistically showed a family and friends negotiating the stress of that time period.

What a book! Totally emotionally spent but loved reading this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read early and offer a honest review.
The book is the stream of consciousness narrative of Lucy Barton during the COVID pandemic. I think this will be THE BOOK ABOUT THE PANDEMIC. So many poignant observations and stories of life during COVID.
Lucy goes with her ex-husband William to Maine to wait out the pandemic. Lucy is recently widowed and William's new wife has left him . The reader also follows the experiences of their families and friends. The time table of the pandemic is remembered in the powerful effects it had on people's lives.
The grief of loss , especially loss of a spouse. Aging and the self reflection it brings. The divides in the country at this time. The sheer scariness of our world. All these are addressed so beautifully.
The line "we are only doing what we can to get through" struck me very powerfully.
There is just so much beautiful prose in the book, it is a little overwhelming to try to describe. I know I will go back and read this book over and over. Even though we have little in common on the surface, I feel such a kinship with Lucy Barton after reading. I read this as a stand alone and it was great but I will read the others in the series and hope there will be more!

Reading along in her journey through dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, I figured the author would have something profound to close with. I totally missed her point of writing this novel.