She’s more resilient and stronger than she knows. Likable Characters?Įlizabeth Strout is a master of characterization, and I admit that I grew to like Lucy. I will say that the background provided in Oh William! did enhance my reading experience of Lucy by the Sea.

It earned 3 Stars from me and I haven’t reviewed it. In addition, I didn’t appreciate the (religious) profanity. I did read Oh William! and even though Strout is a brilliant writer, it was as sad and depressing as I expected. Most of the reviews, though, stressed the importance of reading Oh William! first to better appreciate Lucy by the Sea. However, as I continued to see good reviews roll in for Lucy by the Sea, FOMO gripped me and I decided to take a chance. I hadn’t planned on reading books in the Lucy Barton series because Strout’s style of story telling which is heavily character-driven and melancholy with almost no plot is not my favorite. As Lucy and William face long, quiet days in forced proximity, they rekindle their friendship and put a voice to their fears, anxieties, and shortcomings. The fourth in the Lucy Barton series finds Lucy coaxed into a life of isolation in coastal Maine by her ex-husband, William, during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. Thanks #NetGalley for a complimentary e ARC of #LucyByTheSea upon my request. *This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, Maine, Pandemic In Lucy by the Sea, Lucy is coaxed into a life of isolation in coastal Maine by her ex-husband, William, during the pandemic lockdown of 2020.

Lucy barton series in order