I read this as one of the challenges that my friends and I did to read backlist titles that had been in the Booker Prize, and I can see why it was shortlisted in 2022.

Oh William! follows the vignettes of Lucy, recounting back to her days with William, their adventures and mostly, of their stories as a whole, whilst touching on so many aspects. But what caught me was the emotional touch there is to this book.

Lucy was a character that I absolutely adored. And one of the themes brought forward by Strout was highlighting poverty - its effects and how it can shape a person as a whole. The story was written in a way that brings us along the adventure that Lucy has set upon with William, whilst learning about family histories, long-lost siblings and of relationships. I read this simultaneously with Family and Borghesia by Natalia Ginzburg, and I was reminded how these two authors had written about their characters being just that , human. And these two stories did shine through in ways that I didn't know it can.

I enjoyed this one a lot. 4.25🌟 for this gem.