Almost every blogger I’ve ever met (online) has also called themselves a reader. Writer. Reader. They seem to go hand in hand. Here’s another thing. If you’re a true bookworm, many genres catch your attention. I’m usually reading at least three books at once and often they’re completely different from one another. So, this week, I want to review four totally different books. One nonfiction on simple living, one literary fiction, one praise & worship coloring book and one on leadership. How’s that for variety?! Be sure and check back all week long because the plan is to give some books away at the end of the week!

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How much does our childhood affect us? Do we ever really outgrow our beginnings? Even as we learn new things, live in new places and meet new people, how much of our past do we carry into our everyday lives? Can we still love someone who we realize is a source of at least a part of our pain?

I love it when a good fiction book leaves me thinking. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stout introduces us to a very likable lady. 

To begin with, it was a simply story: I had gone into the hospital to have my appendix out.

The entire novel branches out from this extended stay in a New York City hospital with a view of the Chrysler Building. Lucy tells us of her children who miss her terribly while she’s sick in the hospital. About her husband who has difficulty with hospitals so he doesn’t stop in much. About her mother, who flies in to stay with her for a few days.

We learn about the complicated relationships Lucy has with each family member. The story weaves in and out of present day, her childhood and a future she works so hard to create. A very human tale. 

But I think I know so well the pain we children clutch to our chests, how it lasts our whole lifetime, with longings so large you can’t even weep. We hold it tight, we do, with each seizure of the beating heart:This is mine, this is mine, this is mine.

At the end of the book, Lucy finds the roles reversed. She goes to visit her mother in a hospital in Chicago. Where she’s asked to leave. It’s complicated.

I wanted to say: If I leave, I will never see you again. Things have been hard with us, but don’t make me leave, I can’t bear to never see you again.

This book gets right to the core of our human emotions. It explores our need for family even when it’s imperfect and we grow up wanting more. Excellent.

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I received a copy of My Name Is Lucy Barton, written by Elizabeth Strout, from netgalley.com for the purpose of generating a review. Italicized quotes are from the book. The opinions expressed here are my own.