I love the complex character of Lucy Barton, brought back by Strout for her third novel. This time we enter the pandemic, and Lucy’s ex-husband William takes it upon himself to rescue Lucy from her Manhattan apartment, whisking her up to a rental home on the coast of Maine. Lucy has no sense of what is coming, while William, as a scientist, is much more aware of what the potential risks are. He manages to convince their daughter Chrissy and her husband Michael to escape NYC for Michael’s parents’ unoccupied home in Connecticut, while daughter Becka chooses to remain in Brooklyn with her husband, Trey. The novel covers the events of the first year of pandemic, as well as Lucy’s recollections, past and distant past, which we cover in Strout’s previous Lucy novels, My Name Is Lucy Barton and Oh William!, reviewed here My Name Is Lucy Barton, and Oh William!, by Elizabeth Strout — Marguerite Reads .

Lucy quickly realizes that the illness is a serious one, as she sees the news from NYC with tractor trailer morgues, long testing lines, and people turned away at doctors’ offices. William leads Lucy to believe that this will only last two weeks, but it becomes clear that he knows her well and allows her to gradually realize the probable length of their lockdown. Lucy is on medication for anxiety and sleep disorder, as she is prone to panic attacks. Her nature is to obsessively ruminate, worrying about her daughters, riddled with doubts about her own abilities to judge correct action. While William has lovingly rescued and cared for Lucy, he always maintains control of the situation. He likes keeping secrets, surprising her in delightful ways, but also not sharing his own plans until just before they are to be revealed. It is an annoying MO that he used in their marriage, leading to his numerous affairs. It seems he cannot change this manipulative pattern. It can be self-defeating, however, as William casually discloses his prostate cancer, surgery, and aftermath. Lucy muses about how he shuts himself off from the benefits of sharing, handling such a big situation all alone with no family support.

Familiar territory is covered here: social distancing, masks, isolation, cleaning clothing and groceries, all the early mitigations and unknowns about the virus. Apparently, Mainers were resentful of New Yorkers seeking refuge in their state, as depicted here. It plays out as class and political resentment, with wealthy, blue-state New Yorkers able to afford escape, while working class Mainers must continue to work, putting themselves at risk in service jobs such as in nursing homes, grocery stores, etc. As it heads toward summer, the George Floyd death leads to marchs and riots, as Lucy and William feel society is on the cusp of change and potential collapse. It seems stress and change are evident everywhere, as the pressure from lockdown leads to fractures in both girls’ marriages.

Lucy and William reach a rapprochement, agreeing to stay together as a couple for the foreseeable future, buying the rental house, setting Lucy up in a writing studio in town. William has established a strong relationship with his half-sister who lives in northern Maine and has founded a research project at University of Maine at Presque Isle, on potato parasites that have worsened due to climate change. Fans of Strout’s novels will enjoy the cameo appearances of Bob Burgess and Olive Kittredge, characters from previous novels.

Lucy was the perfect character to channel the anxieties felt by all as we entered the unknown of pandemic life. She processes these experiences, finding the terribly familiar with her own past, absorbing loss and change, seeking a new stasis in her family and friends orbit. We all had to go through this process, and watching Lucy helps us to understand what we lived through, and how far we have come. Highly recommended, as I do all Elizabeth Strout’s novels.