Writer Lucy Barton has long been divorced from her first husband William, with whom she spent many years and raised two daughters. But when Lucy's second husband dies, and William is left by his wife, they seek support from each other and together go to Maine in search of William's sister, whose existence he had not suspected until recently. The present events intermingle in Lucy's story with memories of the past: childhood in a poor provincial town, life with William in New York, trips on vacations with his mother. William has always been a mystery to Lucy, and thinking about who he is, she also reflects on grief, loneliness, family ties, and love. Strout's quiet, laconic prose hides amazing charm. Irony, light humor, warmth, compassion, psychological depth—all this makes Elizabeth Strout's new book a true literary phenomenon.