My Name is Lucy Barton (Not Really)

My Name is Lucy Barton

By Sam Newman

When originally looking for a book to read, I went straight to my family’s bookshelves.  Because I had not found a book I was interested in, my mom recommended the book My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, who is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author (for the book Olive Kitteridge). In My Name Is Lucy Barton, the main character, Lucy Barton, is recovering from an unknown illness in a New York City hospital. Although we do not know the nature of her malady, we do know that Lucy cannot leave her hospital bed. During five days within her long recovery period, her estranged mother comes to visit from a rural town. In the short duration of time while Lucy and her mother are together in the hospital, Lucy asks her mother questions about people back home in Amgash, Illinois. Through the tragic stories her mother tells and Lucy’s own flashbacks, the reader comes to learn that Lucy is struggling to discover who she is, why she suffers, how she knows she is loved despite her history of being neglected. Over the course of the story she also learns how to be brave. 

This novel does not go in chronological order. Rather, it iterates between her past experiences as a married adult and flashbacks to childhood events, with these recollections anchored by the five days when Lucy’s mother is visiting her in the hospital. While reading this novel, readers will realize that flashbacks are an important part of what makes this book stand out. Flashbacks are the vehicle that allows the reader to gradually understand how Lucy grows as a character  (e.g., how she gains confidence, acquires friends, moves from a rural town to a bustling metropolitan city, and becomes middle class), and to appreciate the decisions she makes later in the story. While flashbacks serve to emphasize Lucy’s development, this book is also unique in its use of spotty flashbacks (i.e., with details she cannot remember or is unsure of, piecing things together and filling in the blanks with guesses--similar to a child’s memory). This device also serves to highlight the uncertainty she has surrounding her memories and interpretations of past occurrences, which creates a space for tension between whether she thinks of herself as loved versus neglected.

This story is also intriguing and relevant because Lucy is an aspiring writer and is mentored by a published writer--an older woman named Sarah--who gives her tips about how to be a better writer. In Lucy’s interactions with Sarah and Lucy’s later reflections, the reader comes to understand a major objective of writing, as well as some interesting principles of writing.  For example, in this story we come to learn that writing is an exercise to combat isolation and loneliness in oneself and others. Readers also learn that writers, “Will have only one story … You’ll write your one story many ways. Don’t worry about your story. You only have one”. Another message is that writers should, “Never ever defend your work”. These principles appear to guide Lucy’s writing and later give her courage in how she lives life and responds to a major life event. These same principles may also serve to instruct the reader on how they should boldly, fearlessly, and unapologetically live their own lives.      

I enjoyed this book for three main reasons. First, I admired seeing how Lucy discovered and embraced her identity, having grown up poor and neglected but then reconciling with herself. Second, I enjoyed experiencing the literary device of flashbacks and slowly coming to understand what Lucy is motivated by. I was able to piece together her backstory at the same time she pieced together her own backstory, like a mystery novel or soap opera. Lastly, I enjoyed learning one perspective on how to become a thoughtful, empathetic, and confident writer (or human being). I think that you will like My Name Is Lucy Barton for these same reasons.