Ali Bryant an Expert by Experience member of the Psychological Professions Network Northwest talks about the novel I am Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout published by Penguin in 2016 (191 pages)
For an extended audio version of Ali talking about the novel
audio
click here
(1.60 MB)
.
Selecting a book to recommend to you has not been the easiest task as I am an avid reader, but I am Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout is my choice and if you already know her books, you will understand why!! Elizabeth Strout reveals in her characters the nuances of a life lived as much by the skill of what is written in her text as by what remains unsaid and left to the readers imagination. The author reveals the choices characters have made or haven’t, the consequences of actions they are in conflict with or must make peace with and accept. Lucy is struggling to recover from surgery, confined to a hospital room isolated and lonely looking out at the skyline of New York. One day she wakes to find her long-estranged mother sitting at her bedside. This narrative focuses on the conversations that Mother and Daughter have, skirting Lucy’s past and present, revealing the texture of their relationship. The skill of Elizabeth Strout and her psychological insight is writ large in sharing Lucy’s world with the reader as the narrative progresses. I was moved by this novel and the power of the writing, and because it resonated with me so much, I have reread it several times travelling alongside Lucy to realise an arc of understanding not possible without the catalyst of her mother’s visit.
Please get in touch with us at the PPN NW if you have been inspired to read this novel to share your thoughts.
