I loved reading Lucy by the Sea. Elizabeth Strout writes books that I enjoy because of the writing. I’m usually in it for the story or at least for the characters but think I’d read books by this author about anything. So when I saw that she was taking us through the years 2020 and 2021 through the eyes (and mind) of Lucy Barton I was ready for it. What I love most is the distinctive voice she gives Lucy. I have enjoyed reading the books in this series as we get to see Lucy age and change and I really hope there is ONE MORE book that takes us all the way into her last years. I used the term series but these could be stand alone or read out of order and still enjoyed. It was fun to see the tiny Olive Kitteridge mention. This book comes out September 20, 2022. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an early copy to read and review.

This is a novel of the pandemic.; a novel of fear, anger, isolation, loss, and love. Recommended for fans of Elizabeth Strout, and for those willing to plumb the depths of the Covid pandemic, so soon after experiencing its horrors. #LucybytheSea #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

Elizabeth Strout is just consistently wonderful. I can't imagine myself as Olive Kitteredge, but Lucy is so squarely my jam. Both heroines are unique and very much themselves as they age. What Strout does that is so marvelous is take us through Olive from the eyes of others as she does eventually grow and mature... but with Lucy Barton we are always right there with her, seeing the world through her own eyes. And they are perceptive novel-writer eyes. She is affected by the trauma of her childhood always, and here we see that play out in how she perceives her own children and her role as a mother. But the main power of this latest Lucy book is to take us into the pandemic (which, for the record, is not really over as I write this, though we like to pretend it is). Strout doesn't divorce her fiction from the real world, it is wholly within it. So it would make sense that William, back after their collective jaunt to Maine in search of his newly discovered family member, would grab Lucy out of New York City at the first warnings of Covid and hie them hence to Maine again. For what purpose? To save her... to create a relationship with his sister... to rekindle the burgeoning feelings that seemed to appear in the last book... who knows. I rather like that Lucy will always love her first husband even though she doesn't completely understand him. We the reader are right along with her.

But fundamentally this isn't a book about the pandemic. It's about how we see the world around us through our own lens, however clear we believe that lens to be. I have never read such an insightful explanation for how so many people turned to fake news during this time period, or alternately turned to demonstration against the systemic racism that has been with us from the beginning. Lucy does not really judge- she notices. And her awareness (as it expands) takes us with her. This book is truly brilliant- but I think the series needs to be read in order to really benefit from the quiet contemplation it contains. Five stars.

Writing this review with the typical post-Lucy Barton lump in throat. She returns in another excellent story of human behavior and relationships. I love this character, although I had trouble connecting to her in this modern pandemic setting - I prefer Strout to poke at my older wounds, as she does so well.

In this third novel written in the voice of Lucy Barton, Lucy is spirited away from the beginnings of Covid in New York to rural Maine to wait things out with her ex-husband William. They had reconnected (the story of which was recounted in "Oh William") and he told her that he wanted to save her life. And so we hear Lucy recount what happened over that first year, good and bad things that were happening to people they loved and remembering other things that had affected her life. She captures the uncertainty and disorientation of the pandemic and also the deep political divide that widened in America. Lucy is here in this story as it reaches out and asks for empathy and acceptance, to confront the past and figure out a way to move ahead.

Readers who were invested in Lucy's story in the first two novels (and some appearances in "Anything Can Happen") will want to see what happens in a time that is so recent and yet feels far away. And there may be readers who didn't meet Lucy in previous novels who will be able to connect with her here in "Lucy By the Sea." It is a book I will come back to.

Though the author's name is very familiar to me, I believe this is the first book of hers that I have ever read. I suspect it will not be the last as I am now curious enough to go back and try and delve into her other works that relate to this one.
This book addresses one family's life during the pandemic. I suspect we will have a whole genre of pandemic lit and I also suspect that this will be one of the best representations of this genre. Strout is extraordinarily skilled at getting into her character's head and picking up even the most mundane thoughts and fears. Readers will all find something to identify with in this book and will find some comfort in knowing that their own thoughts, fears, and desires have a universal tinge to them. The story line is almost incidental, but it is also quite good and the ending is satisfying. Because how do you end a pandemic tome when the pandemic isn't over? I'm so glad that I read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's sure to be a best seller!

While I knew the author’s name, had not read any of her books, and didn’t realize this was part of a series. It was an easy to read, short story of one woman’s life during lockdown. Lucy had a small apartment in NY, recently widowed, two grown daughters from her first marriage to William. Lucy did not have a nurturing upbringing, was extremely poor, and still seemed unprepared for life. Instead of facing anything unpleasant she looked at the floor. Reminded me of my own mother, if you don’t acknowledge it, it didn’t happen, doesn’t exist, problem solved.
Lucy agrees to flee the city with William, the X-husband who betrayed her, to Maine to quarantine. Her thoughts, fears, feelings and typical family experiences span highs and lows. She seemed ill equipped to process the world around her pre-pandemic, isolation magnified that. She’s an author, but not actively writing until late into the lockdown, it was not clear to me what age she was or how she supported herself. William’s age was seventies and her daughters are married and grown, so I guessed sixties. I must go backwards and read the previous in this series.
William was not an attentive listener. His life seemed to go on doing his research just as before, while Lucy was adrift. He had his own demons, he handled things very differently than Lucy.
Her emotional journey probably mirrors most of the world during the unprecedented separation from family, friends and loved ones. Her deep love and affection for her daughters as they spread their wings, grow up and pull away, is relatable. There is loss, grief, new friends and new beginnings. It will be interesting to see if there is more to their story. Can Lucy learn to deal with real life conflict or will she dissolve in another panic attack?
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of “Lucy by the Sea” by Elizabeth Strout and to Random House Publishing Group. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
If you love Elizabeth Strout, you’ll love her new novel Lucy By The Sea. Lucy Barton is not be the most positive character in the history of writing. This book is a pandemic novel, although the author also covers various worldwide events, including George Floyd, divorces, cheating spouses and Black Lives Matter, etc. There’s nothing wrong with that, except Strout’s dismal view isn’t enlightening or exciting. She instead wallows in despair. We must put Lucy to bed and get onto some new characters who may have a less pessimistic view of life that still makes for a good story. Still a good book, just a downer. #LucyByTheSea #fiction #Maine #NYC #pandemic #grief #loss #illness #death #survival #sadness
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, and Random House for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: September 20, 2022.

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Elizabeth Strout provides a third installment into the life of Lucy Barton. Following on the heels of ‘Oh William!’, Lucy finds herself within the confines of the COVID 19 lockdown. Her ex-husband and on again, off again companion William takes her away from the streets of New York City and they travel together to the coast of Maine. As the days go by in their rented cottage by the sea, they have only one another. This isolation, this strange solitude in time forces them to face the memories of a life shared, personal hurts, the news of their daughters divorce, a siblings health crisis and the public atrocities as our nations capitol is attacked and senseless lives are taken on America’s streets.
This is a story with heart. This is a story of human emotions which rise, fall and churn like the waves on a nearby beach. This is a testament to the evolution of a relationship, the resilience of the spirit of self and the promises that tomorrow may bring.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an advanced copy of this novel featuring the life of one of the more interesting characters in fiction today.

The early days of the Pandemic are probably best covered in fiction. There was a sense of unreality to it, and like most Americans who love to stick their heads in the sand and pretend COVID was just a bad case of the sniffles, I, even though I never had it, have a hard time remembering it. I do remember the fear, that something was dying, but I had no idea. It was probably common sense, something that we seem to have lost, another fatality of doing our own research. Elizabeth Strout covers all these emotions and more in the fourth book featuring Lucy Barton, in Lucy by the Sea, about Lucy and her travail during one of America's, insert your own adjective here, times.

Lucy Barton awakens to a world that is slowly closing down. Her first husband William being a biologist and pretty intuitive knows that the world is only going to get darker, makes plans for himself and Lucy to shelter in Maine, while telling their daughters and family to get out of the city. Lucy thinks this is all an overreaction, until friends, and family become sick and start to die. As Lucy and William adjust to life in exile, they find that they enjoy the life they are creating and that life together is not that bad, to the surprise and possible anger of her children. There are family problems, loss, family gains, and over it all is a sense that life might go back to normal, but can never be the same.

Elizabeth Strout writes without a wasted word or idea. Every sentence, fits either the characters or the situation, which allows such a slim book to feel so rich and fulfilling. Lucy is a fascinating character, self- centered sometimes, but more out of her own naivety, which even at her age she is very much a waif in the woods sometimes. Strout can take a simple walk or a conversation between social distancing characters and fill it with so much, ideas, emotions, words, other writers would go on for chapters, Strout just moves along, leaving her mark on the page and the reader. Lucy seems so real, more real than people I have read biographies of. Just a remarkable book, in a series I hope continues for quite a while.

Readers don't have to have read the earlier books, but readers are doing a disservice to themselves by not. Also Strout is bringing in other characters from her books, so these books are becoming almost a Strout Shared Universe kind of story. The COVID is a little whelming I must say, however the book is so good, the story so well written, it is more than worth being slightly uncomfortable to enjoy.

Lucy Barton's ex husband William takes her away from New York during the pandemic to keep her safe at a beach house in Maine. This story is about her reaction to that, the lockdown and how everything would change for her as a result.

This for me was not an enjoyable novel. I found it depressing to be put through the pandemic all over again, the masks, the fear, the isolation and all the uncertainty of the future. I usually like Elizabeth Strout for most of her works, especially Olive's stories. I liked the first Lucy Barton too, but the last William and this one lacked something for me. The flashbacks to the affairs that her first husband had, the one she had, the ups and downs of their familial circumstances involving their daughters did not keep me entertained. Neither did the references to what went on in current events in America during the pandemic, ie; the thousands of deaths in New York, the bodies waiting to be moved, the rioting, the George Floyd incident and the Jan 6th assault of the Capitol. No thanks, no more, please!

I found the writing a choppy experience, as she would just blurt out whatever she was thinking that may or may not be related to what she was just doing or thinking of. Sometimes it read like a diary.

It did have some pleasant bits of wisdom scattered throughout and some insightful moments, but for the most part it was not what I needed to read at this time when we are just getting our lives back to some kind of normalcy. I am in the minority here with my opinion. Many Strout fans will be happy for this new release Sept. 20, 2022.
#NetGalley #LucybytheSea #RandomHousePublishing

Elizabeth Strout is one of the main writers in American literature today. Her four Lucy novels are outstanding. In her last installment–which perhaps is my favorite of the series–she manages masterfully to tell a thought-provoking story while addressing the main events in recent years. Her personal "essays" or reflections are embedded beautifully into the novel and add a level of depth that is rarely seen in contemporary fiction. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, not only to those who have already enjoyed the previous stories of Lucy but also to any readers who appreciate a great novel.

Until I finished the book, did I realize that the name Lucy Barton was familiar to me because Strout wrote another (or really several) book(s) with the same character so that this is another installment in a series but can be read as a stand-alone novel. I found the voice very personal but given the circumstances of living through the past couple of years of the Covid pandemic, it is as if the novel wrote itself and she just had the characters reacting to it. I found Lucy not an admirable character but weak and vulnerable to have blindly followed her ex-husband and best friend blindly when he moved her out of town. Was she manipulated, again? Through-out this story it is evident that Lucy doesn’t believe that she trusts her own judgement or deserves any special treatment. However, her experience and that of her children, becoming depressed and withdrawn due to being isolated during the pandemic and trying to cope, was a genuine example of how others also reacted these past couple of years. Well written, Strout has a unique writing style that truly brings the reader into the minds of the characters. It did keep me reading and carrying me along on her journey. I’m thinking that the author left the ending open ended with Lucy questioning her future with William as a premise for another book in this Lucy Barton saga.

Many thanks to #netgalley #lucybythesea #elizabethstrout for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I could not have loved this book more. Elizabeth Stout's style is beautiful, and honest, and leaves you wishing for more. Lucy shares her story in the midst of the COVID pandemic. She shares her thoughts and relationships with her ex-husband, her daughters, and her friends. It is a truthful tail of how many of us felt during the pandemic and describes how relationships flourish and change. A truly incredible novel.

I felt a connection to this book, it touched on many emotions, struggles, and thoughts I dealt with at the onset of the pandemic. Interesting to observe the impact of ‘isolation’ through another’s eye, I found a quiet validation with Lucy.

Spending time with Lucy Barton is always a joy. There’s something so ordinary about this creature yet so extraordinary. She has a way of being exposed but guarded at the same time. She’s comforting and pure and I find myself absorbed in her presence. Lucy did a wonderful job of telling her experience during the pandemic as well as her reflections on the past, present, and future. She’s a character I find completely endearing, salt of the earth.

Admirers of Lucy Barton will fancy her story. I suggest reading the previous writings to fully appreciate Lucy as well as her backstory but not necessary. I avoid narratives dealing with COVID but I must add Strout did a wonderful job weaving many serious issues taking place during this time with the utmost skill. Much to contemplate after you’ve turned the last page. Lucy spoke of what many of us have thought, endured, and speculate.

Last night I finished an ARC of Lucy by the sea! It is a beautiful novel. At first I had doubts because the story was set during the pandemic but as soon as I got into the book I was drawn by Lucy's story and more than once I felt like mine/our experience of the last two years. Thank you for the beautiful novel and thanks for the ARC, it was an honor to read it.

This was the first book I've read from the author, and it took me a while to get used to the writing style and understand the characters. I never fully accomplished either, and I struggled to understand the purpose of the book. I was moderately entertained, but never felt connected with any of the characters. The whole COVID angle didn't bother me, but didn't seem to add much to the story, other than provide a background.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I actually had to check after I started to make sure I was reading a novel and not a memoir, as it read so much like a diary.

Lucy by the Sea is the story of Lucy Barton who goes into the Covid quarantine with her ex-husband, William. Lucy and William had each married others since each other but since they no longer had their significant others, William brings Lucy out of New York to Maine and they find their way of living together during the uncertain pandemic times.

It was an interesting take on how our lives all changed during that time and how everyone handled their lives differently, as best they could.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #bookreviewer #takealookitsinabook #lucybythesea #elizabethstrout

As always Strout has written a real and beautiful novel. I loved being with Lucy again. I felt everything along with her and thought about COVID all over again. We have all been affected by COVID somehow and this is a great look into another life and how they deal with what is happening.
It's heartbreaking and real. If you aren't ready to read a book about COVID pass on this one, but it's a great book everyone can relate to.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Every once in awhile you find an author whose work speaks to you. One who you can relate to and feel her very essence in the books she has written. For me, Elizabeth Strout is a that kind of an author. When I read her work I feel as though she and I are alone in the world, sitting together and having lunch in an out-of-the-way cafe, and chatting about everything and nothing - about life.

"What is strange as I look back is that I simply did not know what was happening. I think it did not feel real; I mean because - oddly - I was not all that concerned.” Lucy by the Sea takes place at the very beginning of the pandemic when nearly all of us were confused about COVID, what it was, what it could do to us and how dangerous it was. The story begins when William, her ex-husband of more than 20 years, insists on taking Lucy from NYC to Maine, to get away from the virus.

Her stress and anxiety during the isolation bring to mind many other stressful factors in her life, including her extremely impoverished childhood, her cruel mother, her loving, emotionally challenged, brother who died of COVID, and her jealous sister. As well as her continuing grief for her second husband David, who died just a year earlier. "Grief is such a — oh, such a solitary thing; this is the terror of it, I think.”

Lucy by the Sea is, essentially, a sequel to Oh William!. As with all of Strout’s books, characters from previous books appear now and again in this one. For example, Lucy (My Name is Lucy Barton), Bob Burgess (The Burgess Boys) also lives in Crosby and helped William find a home to rent there and a woman Lucy befriends who cleans at the town’s nursing home where Olive Kitteridge is a resident (Olive and Olive, Again). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ PUBLICATION DATE: September 20, 2022
#netgalley #RandomHouse #LucybytheSea #ElizabethSrrout