This short novel has made me want to rewrite everything I’ve ever tried to write. Somehow Stroud manages to NOT say things so powerfully fully half of the time I was reading this book I was awash in memories of my own, trying to tease out the wisdom to be found there.
That said, by the end I was gnashing my teeth a bit- I wanted more detail about what was happening in Lucy’s life- why didn’t her daughters visit her in the hospital? Were her mother’s stories about marriages gone bad a warning about Lucy’s absent husband? How would she have known anything about Lucy’s family, given they never seemed to interact?
Trauma is rarely so well-illustrated in text and this book is remarkable for that, for the way Stroud brushes light touches of tragedy across seemingly benign scenes. When Lucy’s father is dying and comments about what a good girl she was, her sister leaves the room. That line alone says so much about families…and Lucy’s family in particular.
A high residue book. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.
Not sure if I’m grateful for that… ( )

Some years ago I read Olive Kitteridge and thought it was a really good book, one that made me think outside of my experience. I started this about a year later, but only read half before leaving, perhaps because I was reading a more engaging collection of Alan Bennett’s essays simultaneously. Anyway, I have now read the whole book over a couple of days.
For me, like Olive, Lucy Barton is not a sympathetic character and although there is much of her character that I can’t relate to, there is much of interest, especially the use of education to escape your circumstances, but the consequent feeling of exile. For me Lucy is an intriguing character, and I will be reading at least the sequel.

The book is written in short, spare chapters, but it made me think, I kept pausing and considering what I was being told. Although the story is mainly set over five days when her mother visits Lucy in hospital in the 1980’s, the story was both contemporary (looking back from about thirty years later when Lucy has become a successful author) and historical (looking back at Lucy’s childhood in the early early sixties, when the family had lived in poverty in the fictional rural town of Amgash, Illinois).
At first I was unsure of what the book would be about, but quickly realised that it is the story of a damaged family, damaged by trauma inflicted upon the father during the Second World War, as well as poverty. But the story is approached obliquely, and the reader needs to be patient (as I wasn’t on my first attempt).
This is also a book about a certain type of ruthlessness and something about its consequences, although I suspect the consequences may be considered more deeply in the sequels.

This is a New York story too. ( )

My Name Is Lucy Barton begins with our narrator, Lucy Barton sharing details about how in New York City in the 1980s, an infection after routine surgery for removing her appendix leads to her being hospitalized for nine weeks. Her estranged mother, whom she hasn’t seen for years, travels to New York City from Amgash, Illinois and stays with her for five days, never leaving her bedside. Her mother’s presence triggers Lucy’s memories of her past, inspires her to reflect on her present and motivates her to contemplate her future.

“This must be the way most of us maneuver through the world, half knowing, half not, visited by memories that can’t possibly be true.”

Lucy’s childhood was one marked by abject poverty and abuse. Dysfunctional family dynamics, no friends and being looked down upon by her peers on account of her family’s poor living conditions (her family in the garage of a relative till the age of eleven), push her to concentrate on her books and academics, an endeavor results in her winning a scholarship to college. She is able to make a good life for herself away from the bleak memories of her past. Given her humble beginnings and unhappy childhood, Lucy is sensitive to how other people treat her. She acknowledges and remains grateful for even the smallest gestures of kindness she has experienced from teachers, neighbors and others in the course of her life. Lucy's relationship with her mother is complicated. They have been estranged for years and her mother is now at her bedside after Lucy's husband calls her. Her mother's bedside conversations revolve around news and gossip about cousins, neighbors and other people in their hometown. Though Lucy does bring up more personal topics including her accomplishments as a writer having recently published two stories, her mother does not engage in any deep discussion of Lucy’s childhood or openly appreciate her accomplishments as an adult. The visit is short and her mother abruptly decides to leave after five days. It is not as if mother and daughter reconcile or suddenly become close friends, but there is no denying the fact that Lucy loves her mother deeply and her mother does care for Lucy. Lucy craves affection from her mother, and though her mother remains reserved in her demeanor in this regard, this visit impacts Lucy’s life in that her mother’s presence, the sound of her voice and even the moments spent in silence provide Lucy with comfort and enable her to confront her own emotions, also reflecting on her own role as a mother of two daughters and take stock of her marriage which isn’t exactly perfect. Families are complicated and mother-daughter relationships can be more so and the author does a magnificent job is exploring the same through Lucy and her mother. Love might not always be expressed or may be expressed in a manner different from what we may be able to comprehend, which is painful – but that does not mean it is not there.

“ Because we all love imperfectly.”

Elizabeth Strout’s My Name Is Lucy Barton is a short but impactful novel. The author’s prose is simple yet beautiful and elegant. Though Lucy’s memories are shared through a series of non-linear, often disjoint flashbacks, the author manages to paint a beautiful picture of Lucy's life. In Lucy Barton, the author creates an emotional but resilient character who feels real and relatable. This is a beautifully written story, concise, with a fluid narrative and superb characterization. I’d been planning to read this book ever since its release in 2016 but have been procrastinating. I’ve always believed in the cathartic effect that reading the right book at the right time could have on you. I found this to be a moving and thought-provoking read that struck a personal chord with me and I am glad I finally picked it up. I look forward to reading Elizabeth Strout’s other books featuring Lucy Barton.

“But I think I know so well the pain we children clutch to our chests, how it lasts our whole lifetime, with longings so large you can’t even weep. We hold it tight, we do, with each seizure of the beating heart: This is mine, this is mine, this is mine.” ( )

A perfect book for my spring break road trip. The voice of Lucy Barton drew me in and her vivid, simple storytelling kept me by her side. Instead of lush prose and enchanting cadence, the words stand on the page as awkward, soft, insightful, and confused as the feelings and relationships they convey.

Note to self: remember and revisit this book, this structure, this voice when ready to write about the first year of my own marriage.

( )

This was kind of a bland book. I didn't have it. I didn't love it. It wasn't offensive, but it wasn't thought provoking either. 🤷🏼‍♀️