My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
The strangest thing happened in September. I could not read. I could not make my brain turn the curves of letters into words, and those words into a story. For one month I tried, but could not read. Then a lovely thing happened, October began. The flipping of the calendar was the magic stroke. I opened this book and read it in three days.
My Name is Lucy Barton is simple, and sad, and tender to the core. Lucy goes into the hospital with appendicitis, and stays there for five weeks. Mysterious fever and symptoms keep her away from her husband and two children at home. She wakes up from a nap, and her mother has materialized at the foot of her bed. After years of separation, her mother’s comfort is as strange as her sickness. Lucy delves deep into old memories, to her childhood lived outside of acceptable society. Her parents were consistently just above complete ruin. Lucy and her siblings suffered through being poor and outcast in a small town. Lucy processes her memories from reality, as she waits to heal and go home. She wrestles with the opposing forces of relief and frustration from seeing her mother. This book is about the power of family, how one can suffer at the hands of a parent, but also long to be with them. Strout has woven a simple story about breaking familial patterns, loving sacrificially, and coping with joy and pain. If you read to savor the pleasure of feeling deeply, this book is for you. It is a quiet, and powerfully packed with emotional depth. The writing is stunning.
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My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel
Liane Moriarty does what she does best in her newest novel. Intertwines the lives of four families into an thought-provoking story. She explores of love, obligation, and guilt in relationships. I love the Audio versions of her books, a lovely Australian reader tells the story.
Our next book club choice for the Ladies book club in Seattle, WA is When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Read along with us.
Harper and her friend Kate have danced at the same Ballet studio as long as they can remember. She has only known one dream all of her life. To dance professionally in the San Francisco ballet. Harper has orchestrated every minute of her life to attain her goal. When life takes an unplanned turn, Harper has to re-write the plan book, or throw it out altogether. An impulse trip to Antarctica and an unexpected romance are just the right salve for a wounded Harper. I love how Jennifer Long wrote strong settings. She captured the heart of sparkling San Francisco, as well the as fascinating history and harsh wonder of Antarctica. Every character is three dimensional and comes alive as you read. The dialogue is sharp and fresh, never cheesy or contrived. I simply loved this book. I loved how it spoke to the universal feelings of heartbreak and disappointment. However, it also resonates with the hope that springs forth from plotting a new course. It is Young Adult literature at its finest.
If there is one book your book club should read this year, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, is it. I adored the fresh voice, and the unlikely premise. It is satisfying, quirky, and sweet in the way The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is. If you are not a big reader, I would compare it to a season of Parks and Recreation. This is also a perfect place to start if you want to read more.
Beginnings and Book Ends 