Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout tells the story of Lucy Barton, who is locked down with her ex-husband William during the Covid pandemic in Maine. The book explores Lucy's grief, regrets, and reflections on her past life in New York. It also captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as hope, peace, and possibilities. The pandemic Strout evokes becomes Lucy's pandemic, strange and isolated and just as peculiar as any real person's. The novel encompasses love and friendship, joy and anxiety, grief and more.