Oh, William

The writer Lucy Barton has long been divorced from her first husband William, with whom she lived in marriage for many years and raised two daughters. But when Lucy's second husband dies, and William's wife leaves him, they seek support from each other and together go to Maine in search of William's sister, whose existence he had not suspected until recently. The events of the present intertwine in Lucy's narrative with memories of the past: of her childhood in a poor provincial town, of life with William in New York, of trips on vacation with his mother. William has always been a mystery to Lucy, and as she reflects on who he is, she also contemplates grief, loneliness, family ties, and love. Elizabeth Strout's quiet, laconic prose conceals a remarkable charm. Irony, light humor, warmth, compassion, and psychological depth all make Elizabeth Strout's new book a true literary phenomenon.