My Name Is Lucy Barton
First edition hardback cover
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| Author | Elizabeth Strout |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Kimberly Farr |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Published | 2016 |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 208 pages |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | The Burgess Boys |
My Name is Lucy Barton is a 2016 New York Times Bestselling novel and the fifth novel by the American writer Elizabeth Strout. It was first published in the United States on January 12, 2016 through Random House. The book details the complicated relationship between the titular Lucy Barton and her mother.
In July 2016, it was longlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize.
Growing up in a dysfunctional household, Lucy Barton had a difficult childhood. Her father was abusive and while her mother loved Lucy, she was unable to protect her or her siblings from their father's mercurial mood swings. As a result Lucy would frequently take solace in reading, which led her to realize that she wanted to become a writer. When she came of age, Lucy quickly fled the family home. Years later Lucy is hospitalized after she develops an infection following an operation. During her stay her mother comes to visit and the two reconnect after years of not speaking to one another.
Critical reception for My Name Is Lucy Barton has been positive and the work has received praise from the Washington Post and the AV Club.The Guardian compared the book favorably to Strout's earlier book, Olive Kitteridge, as they felt that it "confirms Strout as a powerful storyteller immersed in the nuances of human relationships, weaving family tapestries with compassion, wisdom and insight." In a review with the New York Times, author Claire Messud praised the book's "beautifully too-human characters" and also drew favorable comparisons to Strout's earlier work.
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