Another Sydney to Melbourne road trip soundtracked by one of America’s great writers. This time last year I read / listened to Oh William!, so it was a treat to be back in Lucy Barton’s world with a story capturing the strangeness, shock, solitude, and world changing event of the pandemic. If you’re not too keen to return to those times, don’t be scared off. I get it. Reading the perspective from a New York frame of mind is dystopian. What struck me was the short memory we have around these monumental shifts we experienced in the last 3 years. And it was kind of grounding to be reminded of them. To look back with hindsight. To think about where we’ve been. At the centre of every Strout book is exceptionally drawn characters. Gawd she’s a master of it. I see them all, I’m in their world, I know their character traits like friends and family of my own. And within this story, a powerful reminder: we know nothing, we can predict nothing, and everything can change in a moment. The way we react to that, is all us. I felt grateful, while listening to this, that I experience so much beauty every day. In place and people. Loved it. Oh - and you don’t need to read the other Lucy Barton books for this to make sense - although I highly recommend them too. You’ll also get another legendary Strout character cameo in here, just for kicks. 😏 #zansbookclub