Oh William!

Pulitzer Prize winner Strout creates characters so developed, so human and flawed, that readers might feel frustrated with them, as one would with a friend or family member. First seen in My Name Is Lucy Barton, the protagonist here is a successful author, though one would never know it from her demeanor. Lucy considers herself invisible despite being well known for her writings, which include a memoir about her difficult upbringing. Lucy often refers to parts of her life that she’s covered in past books, but readers don’t have access to them, only Lucy’s current observations. Lucy is recently widowed, having lost her second husband, David, the man she found later in life after a lengthy marriage and two children with the titular William. David was her true love, the family she chose for herself, yet she agrees to accompany William on an exploration of his past, whether from old feelings or a sense of obligation. As Lucy and William travel from New York to Maine, readers learn about their marriage, daughters, and dynamic.