Oh William!

Although Lucy Barton is a writer, William, her ex-husband, is nonetheless difficult to read. She admits that I have always found William to be mysterious. Why the two have stayed in touch after all these time is a mystery as well. They just are.

When William invites Lucy to go with him on a journey to look into a newly discovered family secret—one of those mysteries that upends everything we believe we know about the people closest to us—Lucy is both astonished and unsurprised. What follows is exemplified by Elizabeth Strout's "perfect attunement to the human condition," as Hilary Mantel has put it. Fears and uncertainties coexist with simple pleasures and sensitive deeds, as well as disclosures of extramarital relationships, other spouses, parents, and their kids. We discover more about the subtle forces that bind us together—even after we've grown apart—on every page of this magnificent book.

Lucy Barton's unwavering voice, which provides a deep and enduring meditation on the essence of life, is at the core of this narrative. Lucy states, "The many things we do not know until it is too late is the way of life."