- This is a delightful book and such a pleasure to read. Lucy Barton, an author, is telling the story of her former husband William, who she is still very fond of. Lucy was William’s first wife and they had two daughters. They divorced after twenty years and William married twice more. Lucy also remarried but her new husband David died after seven years. It's a drama of parenthood, childhood and marriage.
- Lucy’s writing style is quirky and light. She has a certain flavour which is always on show. …is what I mean is common, as is so there was that.
- Catherine was William’s mother. She was a lovely person but with a complicated past. She had a daughter, Lois, from a prior marriage, which she never disclosed because, shamefully, she deserted her after just twelve months. She later married a former Nazi soldier now a US citizen. Their son William became an academic microbiologist and has a rather cold and restrained personality. He was never told about Lois, his stepsister.
- Halfway through this short novel I wondered whether it is was all a little trite. Every person on earth has dramas in their lives - marriage issues, kids and wider family issues, wrong decisions made, ambitions unfulfilled, careers gone nowhere, etc, etc. There is no big stuff in this story - no crime, no rape, no sexual abuse, no drugs, no school expulsions, no sackings, or anything extra significant.
- According to Lucy William had 'authority', and that's what attracted her. ‘We crave authority’ she writes.
-The story of Lois is eventually told. Lucy and William travel to the small town to meet her, but she will only talk to Lucy. She's turned out to be a lovely and generous person.
- Lucy's meanderings go on and on but her final realisation is important to her: …in this whole wide world, we do not know anybody, not even ourselves...We are all mythologies, mysterious. We are all mysteries, is what I mean.
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