Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout: Summary, Characters, Themes, and Study Guide

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Quick Facts

• Author: Elizabeth Strout

• Publication Year: 2022

• Series: Amgash (Book 4)

• Genre: Literary fiction

• Setting: Crosby, Maine, and New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Narrator: First-person (Lucy Barton)

• Main Characters: Lucy, William, Bob Burgess, Chrissy, Becka, David

Short Summary

In early March 2020, as COVID-19 spreads, Lucy Barton’s ex-husband William insists on driving her from New York City to a rented house in Crosby, Maine. They quarantine together, and Lucy struggles with grief over her late husband David, pandemic anxiety, and the dislocation of leaving her apartment. Over the following year, she and William navigate isolation, family crises (including their daughters’ marital troubles), political upheaval, and the slow rekindling of their own relationship. Lucy finds solace in the Maine coastline, forms a deep friendship with local lawyer Bob Burgess, and eventually gives up her New York apartment to start a new life in Maine. The novel traces a year of collective trauma and personal transformation, ending with Lucy and William embracing in New York as the pandemic begins to ease.

Full Summary

Lucy by the Sea opens in early March 2020, as the coronavirus begins to spread across the United States. Lucy Barton, a writer in her sixties, is living in New York City when her ex-husband William, a parasitologist, urges their daughters to leave the city. Chrissy and her husband Michael go to Connecticut, while Becka stays in Brooklyn. William tells Lucy that his friend Jerry has died of the virus and insists on taking her to a rented house in Crosby, Maine, arranged by his lawyer Bob Burgess. They quarantine for two weeks, watching the news of New York’s escalating crisis. Lucy learns that writer Elsie Waters has died, and she feels increasingly disconnected from her former life.

In the early weeks in Maine, Lucy reflects on her late husband David, a cellist who died two years earlier. She struggles to concentrate, takes naps, and feels split between Maine and her New York apartment, which now unsettles her. William tries to work online but soon decides to retire. They establish a routine: William cooks, they take separate walks, and they watch the news together. Lucy notices that William washes his jeans every two days—a small detail that underscores his need for control.

As spring arrives, Lucy and William begin to settle into a rhythm. Bob Burgess brings Maine license plates for their car, and they walk on the rocks near the shore, where William first notices a World War II submarine guard tower. Lucy finds a robin’s egg, and William gives her a sleep mask. One day, Becka calls crying that her husband Trey is having an affair. William confronts Trey on the phone and arranges for his driver Horik to bring Becka to Connecticut, where she quarantines in a guesthouse on Chrissy and Michael’s property. Lucy calls this “The First Rescue Story,” noting that a second rescue arrives a month later, but neither succeeds in the way they hoped.

In May, William walks to the guard tower and reveals that his father was a German POW. He also discovers he has a half-sister, Lois Bubar, who lives in Maine. They begin corresponding, and William eventually drives to meet her, returning overjoyed. Meanwhile, Becka leaves Trey and moves to Connecticut. Bob Burgess and his wife Margaret become close friends to Lucy and William. William reveals that he had prostate cancer surgery in October, which left him impotent and incontinent—a secret he had kept from everyone. Bob and Lucy take walks together, and Bob shares his family history, including the death of his father when he was young.

In late May, George Floyd is killed by a policeman, and protests erupt across the country. Lucy watches the news night after night, feeling both hopeless and hopeful. Becka texts that she is attending protests in New Haven. During the summer, Lucy and William begin making friends in Maine. Lucy confesses to an incident at a grocery store where she did not let an elderly man ahead in line, and she reflects on self-interest versus compassion. William drives to Massachusetts to see his ex-wife Estelle and daughter Bridget, returning in tears.

In mid-June, Lucy and William attend a marina dinner with Bob, Margaret, and another couple. The wife, Katherine Caskey, recounts her childhood: her mother died when she was five, and her father, a minister, later visited a housekeeper in prison who had murdered people. Bob realizes Katherine was the girl he saw decades earlier when his own father died. Lucy and William explore Maine roads and cemeteries, noting tombstones from the 1918 flu epidemic. Chrissy announces she is pregnant, due in December. Lucy’s sister Vicky calls to say she has joined a fundamentalist church and stopped wearing masks. In late June, Becka contracts the virus from Trey; she recovers and moves to Connecticut. Chrissy loses her baby after a run, and she and Michael contract the virus from the emergency room. Both recover, and Chrissy insists they will still have a family.

In July, William drives to Orono to meet Lois Bubar, bringing homemade brownies. While he is away, Lucy walks with Bob and shares news about Lois and Chrissy’s miscarriage. They discuss God and the internet. William returns overjoyed, saying Lois loved him. Lucy later realizes William had chosen Maine because his sister lived there. Afterward, Lucy begins experiencing memory lapses and confusion. She dyes her hair blond, but it thins and falls out. She struggles with a clogged bathtub drain, which she eventually clears with vinegar and bleach. They screen the porch and eat outside. Lucy volunteers at a food pantry, where she meets Charlene Bibber, who tells her about stealing a shoe. William and Lucy discuss political divisions. One evening at an ice cream stand, Lucy senses deep unrest in the country.

In August, William tells Lucy he regrets accepting his grandfather’s wartime fortune and plans to donate money to a Maine university for potato research. Bob helps William set up a writing studio for Lucy above a shop in town. Lucy gives up her New York apartment, and Bob arranges for her belongings to be moved to Maine. She later sorts through old boxes in her studio. In late September, William and Lucy visit the depressed mill town of Dixon, where Lucy observes a policeman and begins writing a story about him. William returns from visiting his daughters and reveals he has already bought the Maine house, making them residents of the state. In late October, William surprises Lucy by arranging a visit from their daughters, Chrissy and Becka, who share news about their lives. Lucy tells them she and William have gotten back together.

In November, the election takes place. On Thanksgiving, Lucy and William eat beans and hot dogs. Lucy’s brother Pete goes to Vicky’s for Thanksgiving despite Lucy’s concern about COVID. A week later, Vicky contracts the virus and is hospitalized; she texts Lucy accusing her of selfishness. Pete falls ill, refuses to go to the hospital, tells Lucy he loves her, and dies. Police find him. Lucy grieves, recalling how Vicky had once driven her to Chicago during a panic attack. A storm knocks out power; Bob brings flashlights, and William buys down quilts. In December, Lucy’s mood worsens due to Pete’s death. On January 6, Lucy watches the Capitol attack and leaves the room. William tells her about Nazi symbols. Lucy recalls a humiliating college event where students ignored her. She briefly empathizes with the rioters but rejects that. Later, she meets Charlene Bibber, who says she won’t get a vaccine and will quit the food pantry.

In mid-January, William receives notification he is eligible for his first COVID vaccine shot and schedules an appointment at the town hospital. Lucy drives him there; he receives the shot and is told to return in three weeks. During February, Lucy feels isolated, seeing only Bob Burgess for weekly riverside walks. On a late-February walk, she tells Bob she fears returning to New York; he calls her brave and hopes she will stay in town. Bob speaks about his brother Jim and his ex-wife Pam. In early March, Lucy finishes her Arms Emory story and discusses with William whether to publish it. Lucy receives both vaccine shots, three weeks apart. She and William plan a trip: Lucy will take a train to New Haven to visit Chrissy and Becka, then spend a week in New York City. Becka calls to say she has been accepted at Yale Law School, asking Lucy not to make a fuss when speaking to Chrissy. When Lucy phones Chrissy, she seems distracted.

In early April, William drives Lucy to Boston’s South Station, where she boards a train to New Haven. The station is dim, with most shops closed and homeless people on benches. On the train, a conductor says ninety percent of railroad workers have contracted the virus. In New Haven, Chrissy picks her up, looking thin again, and takes her to Becka’s apartment. Becka says Chrissy is going through a rough patch but won’t elaborate. Lucy then stays at Chrissy and Michael’s house, where she overhears Chrissy angrily scolding Michael. The next day, Chrissy drives her to New York, where Lucy stays in an Airbnb and walks the empty streets. In Central Park, Lucy confronts Chrissy about a suspected affair. Chrissy admits she’d had a miscarriage in January and was considering an affair. Lucy advises against it. Later, Chrissy reveals she’s ended things with the man and reconciled with Michael. Becka and Chrissy visit Lucy, and they discuss Lucy’s future in Maine. William arrives that evening, and they embrace.

The novel ends with Lucy and William standing on a New York sidewalk, holding each other. Lucy reflects on the squirrel whose nest William swept away years ago, and how the squirrel cried for its lost home. She thinks, “We are all in lockdown, all the time. We just don’t know it.” She feels a shiver of foreboding for herself and the world, but also a deep sense of connection to William.

Main Characters

• Lucy – The protagonist and narrator, a writer who leaves New York City for Maine with her ex-husband William during the pandemic. She grapples with grief over her late husband David, memory loss, and the challenge of starting a new life.

• William – Lucy’s ex-husband, a parasitologist who insists on taking her to Maine. He reveals his prostate cancer, reunites with his half-sister Lois, and eventually buys a house in Maine, rekindling his relationship with Lucy.

• Bob Burgess – A local lawyer in Crosby, Maine, who helps Lucy and William settle in. He becomes a close friend to Lucy, sharing his own family history and offering emotional support.

• Chrissy – Lucy’s older daughter, who lives in Connecticut. She experiences a miscarriage and marital difficulties, but eventually reconciles with her husband Michael.

• Becka – Lucy’s younger daughter, who leaves her husband Trey after his affair, attends protests, and later gets into Yale Law School.

• David – Lucy’s late husband, a cellist, whose memory and grief permeate Lucy’s experience in Maine.

Themes

• Grief and Collective Trauma – The novel portrays grief as a fragmented, nonlinear experience that is both deeply personal and shaped by the collective trauma of a pandemic.

• Isolation and Connection – Forced isolation during a pandemic leads to psychological disorientation while also fostering unexpected forms of connection and intimacy.

• Family Reconciliation – The novel examines the complexities of family relationships, including the possibility of rekindling bonds with estranged relatives and finding new forms of love and support in later life.

• Memory and Identity – Childhood memories, family secrets, and past traumas shape an individual’s sense of self, and these memories are reexamined during periods of upheaval.

• Freedom vs. Responsibility – The tension between individual autonomy and communal obligation, particularly in the context of public health measures, vaccine hesitancy, and political polarization.

Symbols

• The Sea and Coastline – The Maine coastline and ocean serve as a recurring source of solace and constancy for Lucy amid pandemic upheaval.

• The WWII Submarine Guard Tower – The abandoned tower that William visits becomes a symbol of historical warning and the fragility of democracy.

• David’s Cello – The cello left behind in the New York apartment represents Lucy’s grief and her difficulty moving on from her late husband.

• The New York Apartment – Lucy’s apartment symbolizes her past life and the source of her panic attacks, which she ultimately relinquishes.

Ending Overview

The novel concludes in early April 2021, after Lucy has been vaccinated and travels to New York to visit her daughters. She confronts Chrissy about her affair, and Chrissy reconciles with Michael. Lucy and William embrace on a sidewalk in New York, with Lucy reflecting on the fragility of life and the enduring nature of their connection. The ending suggests that while the pandemic has changed everything, Lucy has found a new home in Maine and a renewed relationship with William. For a deeper analysis, see the ending explained page.

Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

| Chapter Five (second) | Lucy gives up her apartment; William buys the Maine house; daughters visit. | Chapter 10