Susie Mesure

Reassess every relationship you’ve ever had before it’s too late

So Elizabeth Strout urges us in her latest novel, which sees Lucy Barton coming to the aid of her former husband, William

Elizabeth Strout. [Getty Images] 
issue 16 October 2021

‘Reading is a celebration of the mystery of ourselves,’ according to Elizabeth Strout, who writes to help readers understand themselves and other people. In Oh William!, Strout resurrects Lucy Barton, the enigmatic heroine of a previous novel, setting her on a mission to get to know William, her first husband.

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