Monday, January 25, 2016

My Name is Lucy Barton

Lucy Barton is recovering in the hospital from a
My Name Is Lucy Barton
surgery that left her very ill for an unexpectedly long time. The doctors have it under control but Lucy is beginning to despair. As a young mother, she misses her two girls and her husband, their home and the life she so desperately created after escaping an emotionally tumultuous childhood which the reader learns about in bits and pieces. Like following a trail of breadcrumbs the reader follows through Lucy’s eyes slowly and carefully. Shockingly, her mother, whom she hasn’t spoken to for years visits for a few days and literally does not leave her side. They reconnect through an invisible bond that Lucy had almost forgotten existed. Lucy creeps back to the past through local gossip. It is a connection to come across memories they share in detail and striking to discover some that could not be more different. Lucy is astounded to realize through her mother’s eyes they told a completely different story. Is it guilt or shear desperation that pushes people to selectively choose how they live their life and which experiences they care to take along for protection from the past. This is a short read but cannot be read quickly as author Elizabeth Strout’s words are poetic and flow like you are reading someone’s mind or heart. I have to admit I wasn’t the HUGEST Olive Kitteridge fan (although the mini series came alive thanks to the incredible Frances McDormand) but this Lucy Barton, I COULD NOT PUT DOWN, not for a minute.

3 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed this book too! For me, it started slow, but the longer I read, the more engrossed I became. It really made me examine the mother-daughter relationship. Very good

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  2. This book started slowly for me, but the more I read, the more I was engrossed. I really liked it, and it made me re-examine the mother-daughter relationship. Very good.

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