A review by tracey1981
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I’ve loved the Lucy Barton series (still need to read the stories in the second installment) and see it as a master class in character development. This series has made me a big Elizabeth Strout fan. And Kimberly Farr’s narration really brings these books to life. I sometimes get distracted from the story by the enormity of how much I’m enjoying the writing and the telling. 

This instalment of the series is basically Lucy’s Covid memoir, a chronicle of the first year of Covid through the character’s eyes. I found it insightful and thought-provoking. 

Toward the end, I kind of wanted a stronger political statement on the times we are living in and what it all means, but these books are all about Lucy, and Lucy is still trying to figure that out. Lucy is judged by others and tries to understand why, she judges others and then begins to understand them better. And in some ways, in an era where everyone has an opinion before the ink has dried on any news story, it’s actually refreshing that Lucy is still sorting it all out. 

Thanks to Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy
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