A review by melias6
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann

4.0

Took nearly 100 pages to get into the rhythm of Lucy Ellmann’s one-sentence-long, stream-of-conscious epic about a mother grappling with modern day anxieties, American history, and baked goods. By page 700, I was convinced this was one of my favorite reads of the year, with Ellmann’s wordplay going down easy and the riveting momentum that comes from reading a thought that refuses to settle. It’s those last 300 pages that began to feel trying, even as Ellmann introduced two “plotty” elements and some structural urgency. Rarely did I dread picking this up, though (and it helped that it takes place near my childhood home in northeast Ohio, full of recognizable places and names). It’s also incredibly funny, with observations about everything from lemon drizzle cake to Harrison Ford to living in a red state that largely supports Trump and open carry laws. A relentless experiment that marries the personal with the political in challenging, surprising, exhausting ways.