Elizabeth Strout
Lucy By the Sea by Elizabeth Strout is another novel in Strout’s “Lucy Barton” series. In this novel, Lucy Barton contends with the Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. The novel unfolds in Lucy’s first-person voice as she struggles to make sense of events. It gradually dawns on her that life will never be quite the same, again.
When Covid hits, Lucy’s former husband, William, whisks her out of New York to a small town in Maine. His goal, as he reveals to Lucy, is to save her life. The two live in virtual isolation, with the occasional visit from William’s friend and neighbor.
Lucy’s voice is authentic and intimate; her tone, conversational. She peppers her interiority by occasionally addressing the reader directly with “you”—as if chatting with us over a cup of tea. She shares flashbacks of her poverty-stricken childhood, her relationship with her mother and siblings, her marriage to William and his infidelities, her second marriage to her now-deceased husband, and her daughters’ struggles in their marriages. Weaving in and out of her personal details are the political upheavals of the period—the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, the general election, and the events of January 6.
Very little happens in the novel. The language is sparse, direct, and unadorned. The focus is on Lucy’s interiority—her thoughts, self-doubts, observations, conversations with friends and family, the people she meets, concern for her daughters, and her writing. She is non-confrontational, somewhat flakey, but likeable. The strength of the novel lies in her intimate tone and authenticity as she struggles to find a foothold in unfamiliar surroundings in unfamiliar times.
A quick and easy read but with minimal substance or depth. The novel will appeal to readers who enjoy following Lucy’s meanderings as she contemplates the past, present, and future.