Born in Portland, Maine, acclaimed American author Elizabeth Strout has written 10 novels. My Name is Lucy Barton was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 and Oh William! was shortlisted in 2022.

Strout has also won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Olive Kitteridge, and the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Amy and Isabelle. She has written five novels featuring the character of Lucy Barton: My Name is Lucy Barton, Anything is Possible, Oh William!, Lucy by the Sea and Tell Me Everything.

My Name is Lucy Barton follows Lucy as she recovers in hospital from what was supposed to be a simple operation. After her estranged mother comes to visit, Lucy is pushed to reflect on their fraught relationship and her complicated childhood.

From a reading guide and extract to an exclusive interview with the author, find out more about our January Monthly Spotlight here.