She's been in the hospital for three weeks when her mother travels from Amgash, Ill., for a visit. It's the 1970s and Lucy, a young mother, is in a New York City hospital recovering from a lingering illness. And as more of Lucy's recollections spill from the pages of 'My Name Is Lucy Barton,' it's a wonder she can abide the presence of her mother, who is sitting near her hospital bed in the opening scene. Thanks.That's not Lucy's most frightening memory of the truck. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution.

What does Strout's book suggest about the pull of family and the power of redemption? What makes forgiveness possible? Do all things deserve forgiveness? How did you feel, later in the book, when Lucy's dying mother tells her, 'I need you to leave' and the father who brutalized her says, 'What a good girl you've always been'?Ħ. What is the state of Lucy's marriage? How do the couple's divergent upbringings, one impoverished and the other comfortable, affect their relationship? Talk about the role that class plays in this book.ĥ. Why is Lucy's mother unable to be emotionally open to her daughter? How different is Lucy's relationship with her own daughters?Ĥ. What is their relationship with one another, and how does the relationship change during the course of the novel?ģ. Describe each of the two women, Lucy and her mother. What happened to Lucy that estranged her from her parents? When did you first begin to suspect, then to fully understand Lucy's demons?Ģ. Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)Īlso, consider these LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for My Name Is Lucy Barton:ġ.Generic Discussion Questions-Fiction and Nonfiction.How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips).Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources they can help with discussions for any book:

Book my name is lucy barton