Oh William is the third book in a series about writer Lucy Barton's life but can be read as a stand-alone novel too. Narrated by Lucy, she reflects on her marriage with her ex-husband William and the myriad relationships with others around her, her daughters, mother-in-law, and current husband. When William invites Lucy to join him in investigating a family secret, she gains further insights into William's family history and how that hidden past connects to her.

Oh William's fascinating narration reminds me of the voice in Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, both somewhat distanced. But where Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 cites data to create that narrative style, Lucy's is a bit more scatter-brain. Like she's talking to a friend and remembering little things here and there to break up the flow of the story. I enjoyed reading about Lucy's musings on the complexity of human connections and her reflections on how the past is sometimes inescapable and shapes us regardless. Strout expertly explores the idea of human intricacies and how we will never fully understand those around us, even our closest families.

While Oh William explores many unique themes, I couldn't fully connect to Lucy or William's characters. I constantly feel like an outsider reading their stories instead of experiencing them with the protagonists. Perhaps the narrative style keeps me from feeling immersed in the story. I had high hopes going into Oh William since it's shortlisted for The Booker Prize; I was a bit let down. There's nothing wrong with this book, but it just isn't what I thought it would be.