Title: Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
Book Beginnings quote:
I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William.
Friday56 quote:
William, who had really said remarkably little since the baby had been born, said to me that night, "You know, Lucy, I think I would feel better if she had been a boy."It was as though something dropped deep inside of me, and I did not say anything about it. But I have always remembered that.
Summary:
Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a mystery to her. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. So it isn't a surprise to anyone when William asks Lucy to come with him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret.At the heart of the this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. "This is the story of life," Lucy says" "the many thing we do not know until it is too late" (Book jacket).
Review: Several years ago one of my book groups selected to read Lucy Barton, the first book in the Amgash series by Elizabeth Strout. Amgash, Illinois is the small, farming town where Lucy grew up in deep poverty -- thus the title of the series is related to a place. In that book we are introduced to Lucy and meet William, her husband at the time. We all liked the book and were especially touched by Strout's writing -- it is so straight forward and readable.
Several years later we selected another Amgash book for our club, Lucy By the Sea. At the time I think I was vaguely aware that this book was the fourth book in the series and I hadn't read the second or the third, but we wanted to read a book set during or just after the COVID pandemic and Lucy By the Sea fit that bill. Once again Lucy and Will travel together as unlikely companions, since they are now divorced, during a time of crisis. It was the perfect book to read during the pandemic, since it talked about fears we were all experiencing. Skipping the 2nd and 3rd books didn't seem to hinder the reading experience.
Last fall my husband and I planned a trip to Maine, where neither of us had ever been before. I wanted to read something set in Maine while I was in the state. I picked the 5th book in the Amgash series, Tell Me Everything.
Finally I decided to go backwards, to read the 2nd and 3rd books. Again I got them out of order. I picked Oh William! thinking it was the second but discovering it is indeed the third book. What a circuitous route I am taking with this series.
I actually loved the Oh, William! Can I put my finger on the reason? Hmm. I think it is because the writing style is so conversational. Starting with the opening sentence, I would like to say something about my first husband, William. In the second paragraph, Lucy (who is writing the account) explains that her second husband just died and she is alone in her grief, but it is William I want to speak of here. Throughout the story Lucy does this, she diverts off onto a tangent and then brings it back to the point she wants to make about William. As if Lucy was talking to me and we were just having a conversation between friends. I found the prose so conversational and comfortable I easily devoured the book in two days.
Now I am off to see if I can find the second book in the series, to complete the series, finally.
My rating: 4.5 stars.
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