Apparently I am in the minority, at least among my friends (both IRL and online) — I haven’t read either of Elizabeth Srout’s books featuring Lucy Barton: 2016’s My Name Is Lucy Barton or 2018’s Anything Is Possible. So when I began her eighth book, Oh William!, I lacked any familiarity with Lucy, a plainspoken woman who overcame a traumatic, impoverished childhood in Illinois and had become a successful writer. Apparently it isn’t  necessary to have read  the prior books, as there are recaps of Lucy’s history throughout Oh William!

As the book begins, Lucy is age 64 and is mourning the death of her second husband, but begins by saying “I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William.” William was the father of her two adult daughters, and Lucy left him after 20 years of his philandering. The two of them go on a trip to Maine and learn some surprising things about William’s family, while exploring the themes that the past is never truly past, trauma affects a person forever, and although people are essentially unknowable, it’s important to try to understand them.

Lucy and  William come to realize that  “all that crap” in their past is “part of the fabric of who we are.” I found it fascinating that although their marriage failed, William was the one person who made Lucy feel safe. It didn’t feel like  a five star book, but it really is a good story, well written and thought-provoking. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Four  stars.