I can't believe it took me this long to read this author. Elizabeth Strout takes an ordinary woman with an ordinary life, and makes her journey cinematic.

Intimate and authentic, Lucy By The Sea is one woman’s introspective recount of life during the pandemic. Lucy Barton is a successful writer grieving the loss of her second husband in New York City when Covid-19 begins and her first husband, William, convinces her to go to a house in Maine with him to wait out the pandemic. Although this is the fourth in a series about Lucy Barton, I didn’t feel like my ignorance on the previous books impacted my enjoyment of this one at all.

Lucy’s recount is disjointed at times - weaving between modern situations, childhood memories, philosophical musings, etc. - and I loved that about this book. It really felt like I was getting a secret glimpse into someone’s diary. I also appreciated viewing the world through a mature woman’s eyes - a woman who has gone through a rough past, built a home and family, left that home when it became toxic, found independent success, and now looks at life with a wise lens. So many books center around 30 something’s and, frankly, as a thirty something, most of us are still struggling to figure out life. It was a nice change to view the situation we all experienced (the pandemic and all of the political and cultural fallout that came afterward) through Lucy’s eyes.

Speaking of the pandemic, the entire book is set during the pandemic from NYC inception to the vaccines so if you’re still processing this and have major PTSD, wait to read this one at a later time. Lucy experiences and recount the wide array of pandemic emotions we all felt at different moments in time - skeptical, confused, lost, depressed, lethargic, appreciative, frightened, bored, frustrated, and hopeful - through quiet musings that are often very insightful. She also recounts the horror and shock of many of the cultural events (George Floyd, Capitol, riots, etc) with honesty and wisdom.

This quiet yet impactful book won’t appeal to all readers but those who are willing to slow down and take a trip down (nightmare?) lane of 2020-2022 will be immersed in Lucy’s story like I was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

Oh, Elizabeth Strout, you cannot do me wrong. This was such a delightful little read, and Lucy's voice is so wonderful, and I love that Lucy is also an author, so we can see her explore the world with her writer's very honest mind. Set in the pandemic, Lucy is taken to the coast of Maine by a former husband who insists he wants to save her. There are all kinds of plot points that are big and important but aren't treated as melodramatic--Lucy simply cares and worries and shivers in Maine, loving many, and questioning even more. Strout has a fabulous voice that is such a valuable part of our literary landscape.

See also the permanent stories on my Instagram called "Book Recs." Lucy by the Sea will be featured there!

Strout is one of my favorite authors and I love this series, but this is my least favorite. While I’m liberal and agree with Lucy and Williams’ politics, it seemed so out of place in this series. I love the character driven nature of Strout and this series but this one seemed so thin. Maybe I’m just not ready for pandemic stories or I expected more from my beloved Lucy, but she seemed so dim in this one. I did love the nods to Olive and Bob of her other books.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Lucy by the Sea from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I have read other books by Elizabeth Strout and was excited to be approved to read this one early. This book took us back to the beginning of COVID when we all thought things would be locked down just for a couple of weeks (boy were we wrong). I truly enjoyed this book and the way it was written with some of the story line being in Lucy's head. This book is part of a series and can be read as a stand alone but if you do that prepare yourself for pieces of her other books that have details you might not want to see if you want to go back and read the earlier books. Do yourself a favor and start at book one asap and don't stop until you finish this one!

Not my favorite Strout novel at all - sick of COVID books! I love Strout's writing style but this was a slog to read.

Thanks, Netgalley and the publisher, for sending me a free ebook arc in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed Lucy by the Sea. It was my first book of the Amgash series, but I was still able to read it easily and connect with the characters without the previous books under my belt. After reading this one, I am highly interested in checking out more from the series. I thought the writing style was quite distinct and is probably not going to suit everyone's tastes. Elizabeth Strout wrote in such a "slice of life" way that was so comforting, cozy, and relatable. I found Lucy's reflections to be insightful without being pretentious or forced. Nothing really happened in this book; it's much more character and relationship driven than plot centered. Overall, I found the premise to be completely mundane and simple, but the writer's voice was so unique that I will be coming back for more.

This is book 4 in the Amgash series. Set in Maine during the Co-Vid epidemic it is a new look into the pandemic. A poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown--and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose, Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.
As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it's just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we're apart--the pain of a beloved daughter's suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.
It gives insight into the New York City that made the news everyday.

I always love Elizabeth Strout's writing and it was just lovely to spend time with Lucy Barton again. As a character, Lucy always surprises and delights me...sometimes she doesn't quite catch others' intentions or understand their truth and then in another instance, she shows such a keen insight of others. Here, we find that Lucy has retreated to Maine with William at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. She is struggling to understand and adapt to the times, while also figuring out her next steps and how to stay connected to her family during a time of social distancing.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Random House for an opportunity to read an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 2023, and upon opening this book I’m plunged back into 2020. America and the world were thrust into the midst of the covid pandemic, all of us positive that we were gonna die before it loosened.

I was one of the lucky ones; I was sequestered at home for about six weeks before I was able to go back into my office. Hubs on the other hand was always out as he worked for an “essential” business.

Lucy’s ex-husband, and the father of her two grown daughters, William is a scientist. He understands what is happening more than Lucy. To keep her safe, William borrows a cabin on the coast Maine that he whisks Lucy to in order to avoid the virus. Drama rears its head as Elizabeth and William keep tabs on their offspring, Chrissy and Becca.

This novel centers on the isolation and loneliness and how the fear of merely going to the grocery was so prevalent. As with most Elizabeth Strout novels, “Lucy by the Sea,” is character driven.

Lucy is still mourning the death of her second husband, David, all the while re-adjusting to life with William. They cook, take long walks, keep in touch with their daughters and gasp! Even make a new friend. Their new friend is Bob Burgess, whom readers will remember from “The Burgess Boys.” When he visits, there is always the minimum six feet apart from each other. Readers will also rejoice in the briefly brief appearance of Olive Kitteridge, but I won’t spoil that sighting.

And, as my daddy used to say, “everything always works out.” I spent two evenings reading this novel. It was both too long and too short. Too long in that I did not really reliving those early pandemic days, and too short in that I wanted more. I look forward to reading more about Lucy and William in the future.
“Lucy by The Sea” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

This was a hard DNF from me. The writing was good, but I didn’t want to read about the epidemic or the trauma of those days. I went into the book blind and was put off by the entitlement of the main characters who were wealthy enough to spend 2020 secluded in a nice cabin. I found Lucy insufferable with her childish attitude and whining. So many people really suffered during this time without the luxury of a vacation home. I know that this is an unpopular opinion but it is an honest one. Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This is a compelling story about a divorced couple who must move in together due to the Covid lockdowns. Lucy moves from Manhattan to Maine with her ex-husband, William. William is intent on saving Lucy from the impending pandemic and their self-imposed lockdown goes from weeks to months to over a year. Their relationship is complicated (as are all marriages and divorces!). The isolation they face and the quiet solitude they are gifted allow them to tap into their inner feelings especially fear. Lucy worries about her two daughters, the loss of her life in New York, and politics. She reflects on her childhood and her shared history with William. The book is well-written and the characters well-developed.
This is the fourth book in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series. Thank you Net Galley for the advance copy.

This is one of those authors that I will read literally anything she writes. Even if I can't relate the characters and what they're going through, the writing is just so good. Ever since Olive Kitteridge, I pick up her books whenever I see them. Highly recommended.

I've loved or very much liked all the Elizabeth Strout books I've read. This one was tough-going for me until the last section. I think reliving the first several Covid years can be quite difficult, especially this soon. It was, for me. I adored everything "Maine" about the book and could see places in my favorite state in my mind's eye as Strout described them. Only difference, Lucy is often critical of the same things I love about Maine. I think Strout excels at getting into people's minds and when Lucy gives advice or contemplates things you can sense a kind of understated genius that belongs to both the character and her author. Though I will never fully trust or entirely like William, I found the book a satisfying read.

Elizabeth Strout revisits a familiar character by the name of Lucy Barton.
The story begins as the pandemic takes hold of the world. William, Lucy’s ex-husband insist she leave New York City with him. William has rented a house out of state. Having developed a friendship over the years, Lucy agrees.
I loved LUCY BY THE SEA. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Lucy’s life and how she. they coped with the isolation and all the unknowns that the pandemic presented. Without a doubt Elizabeth Strout is one of my favourite authors.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital edition of this book.

I did not care for this book. I may have gone into it thinking it was a different kind of story, but I still really did not like it, although I finished it. I found the main character to be whiney and ungrateful. Her ex tried to save her life by moving her out of NY and into ME during the start of the Covid (although it is only referred to as the virus) and all she could do was complain about how cold she was, she didn't like snow, etc. I also did not care for her always using the phrase "What I mean/meant is/was). After a while it was very annoying.

This was a beautiful meditation on the nature of our connections told through the lens of the early pandemic. I was riveted and couldn't put it down.

I think this is her best Lucy book, and although I'm tired of pandemic books, I related to this one more than others and will recommend and reread. Sweet and satisfying.

Lucy Barton flees a pandemic-stricken New York City for Maine with ex-husband William after he tells her to lockdown with him. It is a chronicle of a plague year — the first year of this ongoing pandemic. It captures its disruptions, uncertainties, and anxieties better than any novel I've read to date on the subject. I Haven’t read any of the former Lucy centered novels so I had no backstory of her marriage falling apart or much about her character but I quickly learned Lucy was a novelist, had lost her second husband recently and had a very hard upbringing in Ohio.
Locked down in a house on a cliff with a view of the waves, Lucy and her ex husband William attempt to fill their days. Lucy struggles to read, and as for writing, she believes she will never write another word. This sense of being frozen and unable to concentrate was all too common at that uncertain time.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book, considering the subject matter.  The pandemic is a world event that affected all of us very much, and I will never forget the way the things changed.  Although it’s not something I want to re-live, I did like the way this book explored the way the virus affected these characters. Very strong story telling, character dynamic and flow of Lucy by the Sea.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing for this advanced copy