Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout | Blog Tour Book Review

[AD/Gifted - I received a proof copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout - 4/5

Blurb:

"Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband - and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. Recalling their college years, the birth of their daughters, the painful dissolution of their marriage, and the lives they built with other people, Strout weaves a portrait, stunning in its subtlety, of a tender, complex, decades-long partnership."

Review:

Shamefully, Oh William! is the first Elizabeth Strout novel that I have read and although this is the third book in a series, it is perfectly easy to follow without having read the first too. I loved this so much that I definitely will go back and read I Am Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible.

Lucy Barton is 63 and is newly widowed after her husband David dies. Lucy is still connected with her ex-husband, 70 year old William, with whom she has two adult daughters.

Oh William! is written from the point of view of Lucy and the writing style is like nothing I have read before. It is beautifully descriptive and an easy book to fly through.

Lucy and William are obviously tethered together due to their children but we learn that although they are not together as a couple any more, they have a deep relationship. Oh William! explores that relationship, Lucy's feelings towards him (in a platonic way) and it is just stunning. We also delve into Lucy's own childhood and development of herself. 

It is just a beautiful book to read and although at the start I wasn't sure where it was going, I am glad I read this one.

Thank you so much to Viking/Penguin for having me on the blog tour. Check out the graphics below for information on the other bloggers and bookstagrammers who are taking part. Be sure to check out their reviews too!