Elizabeth Strout: Oh William, paperback, 9780812989441, Penguin Random House

( German " Oh William", Luchterhand Verlag)

Elizabeth Strout is a fabulous writer,  I greatly admire her work but i find her books sometimes downright depressing as she gets to the bottom of human struggles,  despair and emotions through her colorful characters. 

But " Oh William" which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022 , I absolutely loved!  William is Lucy Barton's first husband, the father of her daughters, with whom she is still friends. William has just been left by his second wife and Lucy's beloved second husband has just passed away.

 Their shared loneliness intensifies their memories, thoughts and exchanges. It is an absolutely brilliant book, Lucy's voice so clear as she reflects on her past, upbringing and the failure of her marriage to William. I really felt for her, as she tries to makes sense of what shaped her life and her marriages.  Strout's writing is an absolute treat. 

Five stars from me !