Fiction | Book Chatter

My Name is Lucy Barton
By Elizabeth Strout
Random House Trade Paperbacks, 9780812979527, October 2016, 240pp.

The Short of It:

Trauma takes many forms.

The Rest of It:

Lucy Barton is hospitalized for an unknown illness which has taken a bad turn. An infection, most likely. Her short hospital stay turns into several days which prompts her mother to show up at the hospital. Lucy’s husband William is at home with their children, but he, for whatever reason does not like hospital visits and decides not to come. Instead, he pays for Lucy’s mom to show up.

This, in itself is strange. Lucy and her mother have a strange relationship to say the least. Growing up in poverty, and being exposed to some strange behavior has caused damage that Lucy does her best to live with, but it’s always there and from her hospital bed she carefully observes her mother at the foot of her bed, wondering how they got there.

There’s not a lot of action in this story. It’s mostly a “thinking” story. As Lucy considers the life she’s lived, you as the reader will also consider the choices you’ve made as a wife, mother, sibling. From the outside looking in, it’s clear that this family has a lot of things to work through but do they want to? In Lucy’s case, yes because she is trying not to repeat the same mistakes with her own children but you get the impression that she’s not succeeding all that well.

We read this for book club and although it wasn’t enjoyed by all, it gave us plenty to talk about. There are two other books by this author that include the same characters, Anything is Possible, Oh William! and Lucy by the Sea which just came out. I liked the book enough to pick up the other books but it’s definitely not a happy story and a little sad here and there.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Lemon
By Kwon Yeo-sun, Janet Hong (Translated)
Other Press, 9781635423310, August 2022. 160pp.

The Short of It:

At its heart, Lemon is a crime novel, but it’s actually so much more.

The Rest of It:

In the summer of 2002, when Korea is abuzz over hosting the FIFA World Cup, eighteen-year-old Kim Hae-on is killed in what becomes known as the High School Beauty Murder. Two suspects quickly emerge: rich kid Shin Jeongjun, whose car Hae-on was last seen in, and delivery boy Han Manu, who witnessed her there just a few hours before her death. But when Jeongjun’s alibi checks out, and no evidence can be pinned on Manu, the case goes cold. ~ Indiebound

If you pick this book up expecting it to read like a typical crime novel, you will be disappointed. It slowly unfolds but if you aren’t careful, you’ll miss all the tiny details. The author tells the story with great detail, and yet you will be slightly puzzled when you turn the last page because it will appear as if nothing has been determined, but as someone in my book club said, the clues are right there.

This is a short novel at only 160 pages but it’s so full and satisfying to read. It can be read in one sitting but you will want to savor it a little to catch all the nuances the author so skillfully crafted. I don’t want to share too much here but it’s very good. I highly recommend it.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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