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Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple reckons with where they’ve come from—and what they’ve left behind. “Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favorite writers, so the fact that Oh William! may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy. The depth, complexity, and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement.”—Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch HouseI would like to say a few things about my first husband, William. Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a hard man to read. William, she confesses, has always been a mystery to me. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. They just are. So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. What happens next is nothing less than another example of what Hilary Mantel has called Elizabeth Strout’s “perfect attunement to the human condition.” There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents and their children. On every page of this exquisite novel we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart. At the heart of this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. “This is the way of life,” Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.”

Oh William!: A Stirring Saga of Forbidden Love

In the annals of forbidden love, no saga is more compelling than that of William and Julianna, the star-crossed sweethearts of "Oh William!", Elizabeth Strout's latest masterpiece.

In this riveting novel, Strout paints a vivid picture of 1950s small-town America, where societal norms held a tight rein on personal desires. Against this backdrop, William, a young man with a heart of gold, embarks on a clandestine affair with Julianna, a married woman caught in a sti stif. Their illicit liaison, shrouded in secrecy and charged with an otherworldly passion, threatens to overturn their carefully ordered lives.

As William and Julianna grapple with their forbidden desires, they find themselves at the center of a moral quagmire, where love and duty clash fiercely. Their secret rendezvous, whispered confessions, and longing looks cannot escape the p eyes of society, and soon, rumors begin to swirl. The stakes escalate as they face mounting pressure to succumb to societal conventions or risk ostracism.

With her deft storytelling and uncanny ability to illuminate the depths of human nature, Strout weaves a tapestry of raw human longing, societal judgment, and the relentless pursuit of love in the face of adversity. "Oh William!" is an ode to the enduring power of the heart, a testament to the lengths people are willing to go for love, and a sobering meditation on the complexities of morality.

In this tumultuous journey of love, loss, and resilience, William and Julianna emerge as endearingly flawed characters, their struggles echoing the universal desire for connection and the inherent fragility of human relationships. Strout's exquisite prose captures the nuances of their inner turmoil, inviting the reader to embark on an immersive journey, questioning the conventions of morality.

Dive into the pages of "Oh William!" and experience a heart-wrenching saga of forbidden love, where passion defies societal norms and the pursuit of desires ignites a tempestuous storm of internal conflict. Let Strout's masterful storytelling transport you to a time and place where love and duty collide, leaving you captivated and forever changed.