Elizabeth Strout - My Name Is Lucy Barton (Penguin, 2016) ***

Lucy Barton wakes up in a hospital bed, and is confronted by her mother whom she hadn't seen or heard in years. Even if the latter is concerned about her daughter, the emotional distance and problems of communication between both women is obvious. Lucy recounts the story of her life, trying to involve her mother into it, sometimes also to verify if she could interpret the experiences with the same perspective or not. Growing up in poverty and exclusion in their village created traumas that come to the surface again.

Strout's story is delivered with an authentic voice and crafty structure and balance.