Today's book review is for: Lucy Barton
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Pages: 240
The main character - Lucy Barton - is in the hospital recovering from a minor surgery. She has had some complications, so instead of being there for 1 week, she ends up being there for nine. It is the 1980s, and she has two small children at home and a husband. Her husband is so busy that he calls Lucy's mother to come and stay with her for a few days while she is in the hospital. He feels Lucy needs her company. Lucy hasn't seen or spoken to her mother in many years, but her mother does agree to come. They talk about Lucy's childhood hometown and the people who lived there. Lucy had a very rough and poor upbringing, and doesn't have fond memories of her childhood. But she hopes this visit with her mom reconnects them.
After 5 days of being with Lucy, her mom announces that she needs to go home and leaves. Lucy doesn't see her again for years, and at that time, it is only to say goodbye.
I had forgotten who Elizabeth Strout was, and I should have looked her up and then skipped this book. I am sure I am in the minority, but I did not like her last book - Olive Kitteridge. It wasn't that it was a terrible book - but it was confusing and hard to read. So no surprise - this book was the same. IT really went....nowhere. It jumped all over the place. We never really found out WHY Lucy didn't speak to her parents for all those years. Apparently a big "Thing" happened when she was a child, but Lucy never says what. I had a hard time staying focused on the book and kept saying "what?" and "where is this going?".
Eh - skip it. Unless you are a big Elizabeth Strout fan. Maybe you will find something in this novel that I didn't.
Stars: 2
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