Oh William! A Novel by Elizabeth Strout

 Book Excerpt:

"Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple, reckons with where they’ve come from—and what they’ve left behind. 

“Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favorite writers, so the fact that Oh William! may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy. The depth, complexity, and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement.”—Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House.

I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William. 

Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a hard man to read. William, she confesses, has always been a mystery to me. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. They just are. 

So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. What happens next is nothing less than another example of what Hilary Mantel has called Elizabeth Strout’s “perfect attunement to the human condition.” There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents, and children. On every page of this exquisite novel, we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart. 

At the heart of this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. “This is the way of life,” Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.”

Title: Oh William!
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Random House
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

My Opinion:
What a good read from this author that gives a good viewpoint of Lucy, who was William's ex-wife. In this read, we learn about 'William's quirks, good and rough times, three marriages, and his family.' Why was 'Hansel and Gretel' referred to as Lucy and William in this story? Well, you will have to pick up "Oh William!' to find out just why that was. At times I felt sorry for Lucy as she had PTSD that came from her childhood. And all of this didn't help with her failed marriage to that William. However, moving on with her life, Lucy did meet and marry David, and that seemed to be the love of her life until...but having earlier putting up with her ex with his philandering ways, their children, his ex-wives...what will be left for Lucy? Will Lucy help William through some trying times with his situations as he calls upon her and she tends to come running? The characters and the secondary ones were all well-developed. They defined that brought in the story that kept the reader wanting more on this emotional journey for Lucy and William.

The ending was somewhat strange, but it seems that Lucy can't help but be there for William. For a man in his seventy's, he was something else and would probably remain that way. So he calls, and she comes!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchanging my honest opinions.