Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout: 9780593446089 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books (2024)

About Lucy by the Sea

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

“Strout’sunderstanding of the human condition is capacious.”—NPR

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Time, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, PopSugar, She Reads

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose—a voice infused with “intimate, fragile, desperate humanness” (The Washington Post)—Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

About Lucy by the Sea

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

“Strout’sunderstanding of the human condition is capacious.”—NPR

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Time, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, PopSugar, She Reads

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose—a voice infused with “intimate, fragile, desperate humanness” (The Washington Post)—Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

About Lucy by the Sea

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

“Strout’sunderstanding of the human condition is capacious.”—NPR

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Time, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, PopSugar, She Reads

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose—a voice infused with “intimate, fragile, desperate humanness” (The Washington Post)—Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

About Lucy by the Sea

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

“Strout’sunderstanding of the human condition is capacious.”—NPR

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Time, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, PopSugar, She Reads

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose—a voice infused with “intimate, fragile, desperate humanness” (The Washington Post)—Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

About Lucy by the Sea

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown—and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

“Strout’sunderstanding of the human condition is capacious.”—NPR

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Time, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, PopSugar, She Reads

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose—a voice infused with “intimate, fragile, desperate humanness” (The Washington Post)—Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

About Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!,which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess… More about Elizabeth Strout

About Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!,which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess… More about Elizabeth Strout

About Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!,which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess… More about Elizabeth Strout

About Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!,which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess… More about Elizabeth Strout

About Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!,which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess… More about Elizabeth Strout

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout: 9780593446089 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to read other books before Lucy by the Sea? ›

Just about anything you need to know about Lucy and her family you can read about here, and while it would be interesting to make the connections from the other books, it's not strictly necessary. Mary Novaria Can absolutely read stand-alone, but the early books may give a bit extra insight into character quirks.

What is the point of Lucy by the Sea? ›

Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire.

Do you need to read My Name Is Lucy Barton before reading Oh William? ›

So, yes, I think it's fine as a standalone. Monica Stand-alone. I did read My Name is Lucy Barton, and now ,Oh William has inspired me to want to read it again. Jane Not necessary, but I think it would be helpful to read at least My Name is Lucy Barton first.

Do you need to read Elizabeth Strout books in order? ›

In terms of plot or spoilers the order of reading is irrelevant, although arguably you do gain a certain something by unravelling Lucy Barton's world in the same way Strout unravelled it in her own mind.

Is Lucy by the Sea a series? ›

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout is the fourth book in her popular Amgash series. This can be read as a standalone but is so much better if you read the previous books in the series.

Is Oh William a sequel to My Name is Lucy Barton? ›

Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo. Elizabeth Strout's Oh William! is the third book of hers featuring the tender, contemplative Lucy Barton. Here, unlike in its prequel My Name is Lucy Barton, William, Lucy's first husband, takes center stage.

Is Olive Kitteridge in Lucy by the Sea? ›

Strout has written about these characters before in My Name is Lucy Barton (2016), and Oh William! of course; even Olive Kitteridge makes a small appearance in this one.

Is Lucy by the Sea based on a true story? ›

She talked about the fact that she writes fiction – that she is not Lucy Barton, and the books are not autobiographical. Though she did grow up in poverty and went to college on a scholarship it was not the abject neglected existence of the fictional Lucy when she was a child.

Is Lucy by the Sea a sequel to My Name is Lucy? ›

It isn't that it's necessarily a mistake to write a follow-up to a previously highly regarded novel, so much as it may be better to write three subsequent stories, as Strout has done with her character Lucy Barton, in a series that began with 2016's “My Name Is Lucy Barton” and now includes the latest, “Lucy by the Sea ...

How are Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge connected? ›

Lucy Barton is Strout's other recurrent female character of mature years and bears some similarities to Olive Kitteridge. Like Olive, she has lost two husbands. Like Olive, her pain runs in deep veins right back to her childhood.

Is Oh William based on a true story? ›

Oh William! ... a novel-cum-fictional memoir, a form that beautifully showcases this character's tremendous heart and limpid voice ... Lucy's determination to tell her personal story honestly and without embellishment evokes Hemingway, but also highlights fiction's special access to emotional truths ...

What are the three books in the Lucy Barton trilogy? ›

I recently read Strout's Lucy Barton novels, which begin with My Name is Lucy Barton (2016) and includes Oh William! (2021) and Lucy By The Sea (2022); a subtle bluntness mixed with Strout's masterful use of voice in each novel create a compelling mirror of our time, our society, our individual struggles.

What is the plot of the Lucy Barton story? ›

Lucy Barton, a writer and mother, recovers from complications from her appendix surgery in a 1980s New York City hospital with a view of the Chrysler Building. Isolated from her daughters and husband William, Lucy reunites with her estranged mother, who flies in from rural Amgash, Illinois, to care for Lucy.

Which book did Elizabeth Strout win the Pulitzer Prize for? ›

Strout's most notable novel is perhaps Olive Kitteridge (2008), which won a Pulitzer Prize.

What genre is Elizabeth Strout? ›

Elizabeth Strout
GenreLiterary fiction
Notable worksAmy and Isabelle Abide with Me Olive Kitteridge The Burgess Boys My Name Is Lucy Barton Anything Is Possible Olive, Again
SpouseJames Tierney
Website
5 more rows

Do you need to read other books before Sea of Tranquility? ›

In short, no – but some readers may prefer to (more on this below). Just go with what you enjoy reading. If you like dystopia, start with Station Eleven. If you like time travel and science fiction, try Sea of Tranquility.

Do you need to read Lucinda Riley books in order? ›

Every story is unique and independent of the series as a whole, but that said they are all connected by central characters and other plot points, but again it's not necessary to read them in order but it does help!

Do you have to read Gillian Flynn books in order? ›

To answer questions about The Novels of Gillian Flynn: Sharp Objects, Dark Places, please sign up. Trey Pearce There is no specific order in which they should be read as they are not connected in any way. If you want to read them in publication order then it is Sharp Objects, Dark Places, then Gone Girl.

In what order should I read the Lucy score books? ›

Complete Series List in Order
  • No More Secrets (Feb-2016)
  • Fall Into Temptation (May-2016)
  • The Last Second Chance (Jul-2016)
  • Not Part of the Plan (Apr-2017)
  • Holding On to Chaos (Sep-2017)
  • The Fine Art of Faking It (Jul-2018)
  • The Mistletoe Kisser (Nov-2020)

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