ARTS & CULTURE
Book Club FIND FAMILY DRAMA, ROMANCE AND HEARTBREAK IN OUR ECLECTIC SEPTEMBER READS – PLUS ENJOY A TALK FROM A GIANT OF IRISH LITERATURE CAMBRIDGE EDITION
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
BY ELIZABETH STROUT OhWilliam!
the book’s title); the quiet thoughts where the pair reflect on what they’ve just learned about each other; or the stunned silences as long-held family secrets unfurl. It’s a beautifully satisfying portrait of a long marriage, and the love and respect two people can hold for each other – even after vows are broken and children are grown. No one writes quite like Elizabeth Strout – if you’ve read the others in the Lucy Barton series, this exquisitely crafted book is a genuine must-read. And if this is your first encounter with a truly unforgettable character, I strongly recommend seeking out the others as swiftly as possible. A STROUT SPECIAL Oh William! is the latest release from Elizabeth Strout, offering another chance to spend time with unconventional heroine Lucy Barton
Opening a new Elizabeth Strout book is like stepping into a warm bath at the end of a hard day. You can surrender your attention, safe in the knowledge that you’ll be taken by the hand and shown what good writing looks like. Oh William! is no exception to this rule, giving readers another chance to spend time in the company of Lucy Barton, Strout’s unconventional heroine with a knack for highlighting both the pain and beauty of existence with her off-hand observations on life, love and loss. The writing seems so easy – almost sparse – but that skill of knowing what to leave unsaid is where her power truly lies. The book shines in the confident gaps around the words – those rests in conversation between Lucy and her second husband (the William of
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2021 27
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