How can you sum up a book so abstract, so vague in its subject matter and with such a thin plot!!!
This is apparently third book in the Lucy Barton book quartet which can be read as an independent book in itself without the necessity of reading the prior two books to understand the basic plot premise. The first two books would have, no doubt, provided some context to the main characters and their background. However, the author provides us enough backstory to understand exactly what’s going on this third instalment of Lucy Barton book series.
As the name suggests, the book begins with the author within the book- Lucy Barton. She is describing her first husband- William while talking about her second husband, her daughters from her first marriage and William’s current family. The book is based out of New York where William is portrayed as a suave and sophisticated scientist adored by his colleagues and almost worshipped by his students. Although Lucy is living in New York for major portion of her life, she has not crossed that threshold in modern sophisticated lifestyle.
In the course of the book, we get to know the reasons behind it and why Lucy has been conditioned in a particular manner. It explains her constant feelings of being ‘invisible’ or getting overwhelmed. Although Lucy has covered the reasons behind it in her earlier biographical book that focused on her impoverished upbringing and difficult childhood; she more or less gives us a summarised version of it in this novel for getting an idea.
Since the book is about William and his family background, we get to know more about his complex relationship with his mother. That means the narrative shifts towards William’s mother- Catherine’s opaque backstory, her unsuccessful first marriage and a child born from that union who has almost little or no idea about her birth mother.
Most of the discovery is conducted online by William and later on followed in person by him along with Lucy. Therefore, major part of this book highlights their journey together to locate his unheard of half-sister and how that impacts not only William but also their relationship dynamics.
Saying anything beyond this book will be giving away the entire plot line because there is hardly any substance in it beside it. The author spends much of the time dragging her past, making whimsical connections to her present situation and by not accepting her reality, creating unnecessary complications for herself. There is so much of drooling, dripping of wayward thoughts which at times look haphazard and other times look unworthy of mentioning. That affects the reading experience and some readers can find the story is going in loops after a certain point.
Understandably this compact novel is about William and if it would have stuck to its core then it would have been more concise and entertaining. Since that’s not the case, it’s probably best suited for a quick singular reading.