This novel truly examines and lays bare the relationship between Lucy Barton and William in all its complexities and nuances. You can empathize with Lucy as she looks more deeply into why she has the feelings she has and how her emotions developed over time.
This book is considered a stand alone novel, but is based on characters featured in two of Elizabeth Strout's other novels (My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible). I had not read those prior novels and read this book as a standalone, but I feel that the experience would likely be enriched if I had read the previous books. I think for this reason I had some trouble connecting to the writing style initially and then later the book as a whole. I was interested in the characters, but felt as if I was starting a journey with them on the last leg.
I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.