My Name Is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout

My Name Is Lucy Barton

By Elizabeth Strout

  • Release Date: 2016-01-12
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 3.5
3.5
From 1,356 Ratings
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Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A simple hospital visit becomes a portal to the tender relationship between mother and daughter in this “spectacular” (The Washington Post) novel by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Olive Kitteridge and The Burgess Boys.

“An aching, illuminating look at mother-daughter devotion.”—People

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, The Washington Post, The New York Times Book Review, NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, Minneapolis Star Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Miami Herald, The Guardian Slate, BookPage, LibraryReads, Kirkus Reviews

Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy’s childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy’s life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage, her love for her two daughters. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable.

Reviews

  • It was a mix for me….

    3
    By bostonpies
    Some parts were relatable, but many other parts left me hanging. I guess I like closure. Just meh.

  • Disappointed

    3
    By Lenoxlove
    The book wasn’t as good as her others, which I adored. It is disjointed and hard to follow. It was just words without the intense insight. It is an easy read but not the kind of book you need to read to finish.

  • My Name is Lucy Barton

    5
    By Ristikay
    A rags to riches story of sorts, beginning with childhood psychological abuse, physical abuse, parental abandonment, being shamed and bullied to two marriages, two daughters and a divorce. Lucy is a broken adult; yet more intelligent, loving and lovable than she knows.

  • Loved this book as much as her others!

    5
    By Crazyiphonemama
    I'm so glad I found this wonderful author. I have inhaled every one of her books!

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    3
    By Papal Father
    B

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    3
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  • Good read

    5
    By tinabethchap
    I really enjoyed this read! I felt like I could actually hear Elizabeth Strout voice. Now I’m on line searching for more reads by Elizabeth Strout.

  • Annoying.

    2
    By Cut wood
    I found the dialog annoying and repetitive.

  • A tender story of a life's truth

    5
    By LyndAndFriends
    I'm reading this book on my iPad. I will buy it so I have it on my shelf, to share, to savor. Lucy left her hard, rural, poor childhood life to attend college. Her relationships with her family of origin were strained, always, but moving beyond the family norm left a deep resentment. Personally, many things Lucy went through, felt, questioned, needed, lost, are things I have experienced. This book, this story, is a written so beautifully. Lucy admits to her vulnerable memories. Maybe this was how things were, maybe this is what happened. It's a book I want to have friends read and then talk about it. And talk about it some more.

  • My Name Is Lucy Barton

    2
    By Perky too
    Two words...."very strange ". I usually like this author but this was a big letdown. There is no plot or story line and her writing style is very different. If you want to read something very entertaining from Strout read The Burgess Boys or Isabelle and Amy.

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