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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
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Our Country Friends
By Gary Shteyngart
Random House, 9781984855121, November 2021, 336pp.

The Short of It:

This was the perfect read for me after my surgery. It gave me “Big Chill” vibes in a totally good way.

The Rest of It:

I do not know why pandemic reading appeals to me so much during a pandemic, but it does and Our Country Friends is no exception. Yes, it takes place at the beginning of the pandemic when things began to shutdown and folks were asked to quarantine but there’s very little doom and gloom when you decide to invite your friends to an old country house to quarantine together.

There, in the country, these friends come together with their various “talents” and co-exist as the world shuts down around them. There are good meals to be had, good drink, and an energetic child to keep them all on their toes. All these friends seem very high brow and academic. Writers, and the like. An actor. An app developer. Crooked routes to romance and romantic trysts. All set within an old, country house that begins to wither before their eyes.

The story unfolds like a play on a stage. I found it to be very enjoyable with just enough of the pandemic touches to remind us that a threat does exist. I highly recommend this one. There’s humor, plenty of awkward interactions, and promise (the kind that only lifelong friendships can provide).

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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