I still have not read the original Lucy book, My Name is Lucy Barton, but have read Strout's other books which have offered snippets of Lucy's life. The most recent chronology of Lucy's life occurs during the pandemic. Her ex-husband William, a parasitologist/microbiologist, is driven to get Lucy and their adult daughters out of New York City as the pandemic gets underway. He has found a remote place on the shores of Maine where he has rented a house for Lucy and him to live in, while their daughters find other places to stay during the lockdown.
As with Strout's other Lucy books, Lucy's story is told in first person, in her conversational and understated way, even when she feels the pain of isolation impossible to bear at times. Other times, she feels joy at the little things that make her days better, like taking a walk near the ocean and waving to neighbors. Her relationship with William is intriguing; he seems difficult at times, but they still share quite a kinship.
Life is slow in Maine, but I still found the book to be a fast read.
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