Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout

I have only been to Maine once, for the beautiful wedding of my friends Gerda and John on one of the Cranberry Isles. I will never forget how beautiful it was, and how peaceful. But I also remember fighting with my ex-husband because he wouldn't let me stop and visit the L.L. Bean store. So a book about Maine and an ex-husband is right up my alley. There is something mesmerizing about Elizabeth Strout's writing, and her most recent book "Lucy By The Sea" is riveting. Maybe because it takes place during the very early days of the pandemic, or maybe it is because we know Lucy and her ex-husband William from other books. The characters and the plot seem like old, comfortable friends we just want to spend time with. I know many divorced people who spent time together during the pandemic, and even a few who moved in together to care for their children. Lucy and William have two grown daughters, with a whole host of problems, but they decide to move to Maine together to wait out the "terrible virus." As the world is falling apart, Lucy and William spend time together building a new, mature relationship. The longer she stays in Maine, the more Lucy stops pining for the life in Manhattan she left behind. Themes of love, loss, despair and hope all become intertwined in the conversations that Lucy and William have. You don't have to read the other books to enjoy this one, as it can stand alone as a time capsule of early spring 2020. But to truly appreciate the new relationship that Lucy and William form in this book, it helps to know their history and past relationships with other people. I hope this is not the last time we see Lucy and William in one of Strout's novels. To buy this book on Amazon click here.