Oh , William ! by Elizabeth Strout review by Hannah Bergland
Oh , William ! by Elizabeth Strout review by Hannah Bergland
In July , the AWCH Book Club met via Zoom to discuss Oh William !, a novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout , known for her powerful characterdriven narratives . This book , the third in her Amgash series , reflects upon Lucy Barton ’ s twenty-year marriage with — and divorce from — her first husband , William .
While most of Elizabeth Strout ’ s novels do not rely on the plot and allow one to jump into the series anywhere , the vast web of interconnections between characters becomes captivating the more of her works one devours . In this book , Lucy , now in her early sixties and recently widowed , finds herself on a road trip with her lifelong friend and ex-husband William ( now married twice more ) to explore a secret of his mother ’ s past . Lucy ’ s mother-in-law , Catherine , haunted her marriage and magnified insecurities from her childhood trauma , and the reveal at the end of the book sparked intense discussion at the club . This is only one example of Strout ’ s uncanny ability to capture the nuances of human emotions and delicate interpersonal dynamics .
Throughout this meandering , yet intentional , book , Strout explores the inner workings of her characters ’ minds , revealing their insecurities , regrets , and desires . Specifically , Lucy wants to understand why she married William , what happened in the marriage between these two fragile selves , and how they have stayed close enough to still call each other by their pet names . Lucy Barton has a clear , real , reflective voice throughout the book — you feel you are hearing her actual thoughts — and fills the book with rich insights into humanity and the mystifying complexities of human relationships .
“ Throughout my marriage to William , I had had the image — and this was true even when Catherine was alive , and more so after she died — so often I had the private image of William and me as Hansel and Gretel , two small kids lost in the woods looking for the breadcrumbs that could lead us home …
This may sound like it contradicts my saying that the only home I ever had was with William , but in my mind they are both true and oddly do not go against each other . I am not sure why this is true , but it is . I suppose because being with Hansel — even if we were lost in the woods — made me feel safe .”
I can highly recommend the audio performance of this novel by Kimberly Farr . The many intonations of the phrase , “ Oh , William ,” throughout the novel yield gushing empathy for the exquisite and intricately nuanced characters for which Elizabeth Strout excels .
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