The Story of Lucy Gault: Summary and book reviews of The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor, plus links to an excerpt from The Story of Lucy Gault and a biography of William Trevor.

William Trevor has long been acknowledged as one of the most extraordinary writers of our time, with a particular insight into the workings of the human heart. In The Story of Lucy Gault, he has surpassed himself. The Gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s Ireland, but the threat of arson leads nine-year-old Lucy's parents to leave Ireland for England, her mother's home. Lucy cannot bear the thought of leaving Lahardane, their country house with its beautiful land and nearby beach, and a dog she has befriended. On the day before they are due to leave, Lucy runs away, hoping to convince her parents to stay, but instead she sets off a series of tragic misunderstandings that affect all of the inhabitants of Lahardane and the perpetrators of the failed arson attack for the rest of their lives. In this brilliant, profound and moving story of love, guilt and forgiveness, Trevor has written a novel that stands alongside the best literature in the English language.

Media Reviews

New York Sun Mr. Trevor's pure observation and transparent prose should shame other writers.   The Washington Post Book World The Story of Lucy Gault.....once read, will never be forgotten.   Harper's Magazine Beautifully drawn and revelatory.   The New Yorker The tragedies that befall the Gaults are difficult to bear, because no one is clearly accountable. As the author delicately probes the nature of personal and political responsibility, the reader squirms with discomfort, longing for a scapegoat and yet aware of the implications of that longing.   Atlantic Monthly - Alice McDermott Beautiful and devastating.... Trevor once again captured the terrible beauty of Ireland's fate, and the fate of us all—at the mercy of history, circumstance, and the vicissitudes of time.   The Boston Globe One of the finest writers now at work in our language…No writer practicing the form today moves with nimbler assurance than Trevor across such an impressive gamut of social types and emotional connections.   Library Journal - Diana McRae Trevor's smooth, spare prose captures the quirky workings of the heart, and compassion for the human condition mitigates the harsh blows that fate often deals his characters.   Booklist - Brad Hooper This beautiful, haunting story of love and redemption rings with the resonance of a legend.   Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Trevor's deeply poetic sense of the Irish character and countryside, his magical evocation of the passing of time, have never been more eloquent.   Kirkus Reviews Starred Review. A beautiful story of history, grief, and forgiveness.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by mickey
This is a beautiful work about Ireland and its people, which is changing despite their wishes. It shows us how long-reaching our actions, or inactions, can be and how these people stayed long enough to feel their effects. What a beautifully...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Anonymous
As I was reading the book, I found it difficult to believe its probability. In many books, the reader goes along quite easily with what the author has developed, but I found myself asking, "Would they really do that? I didn't find the...   Read More

Rated of 5 by mary adams
In truth, this book was simply too vague. There was not enough motivation given, I felt, for a young girl to tie herself to a scabrous estate like Lahardane for life. I simply could not buy that one act of disobedience would make a child, no matter...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Maryann
A very compelling story - hard to put down. The inevitability of Lucy's tragic life is very moving and ultimately logical. The depiction of the historical era and setting is brilliantly accurate. The formality of the family's relations among...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Anonymous
i felt that william trevor wanted me to believe too much, for his story to live.

Rated of 5 by M Lamb
An old-fashioned book that relies on a barely-credible plot and finely controlled evocative writing. I couldn't really swallow the plot line, and the writing moved me only in places...I began to think I was needlessly wasting my time with this book...   Read More

...1 More Reader Reviews

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