The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Strout, Elizabeth. Lucy by the Sea. Penguin Random House LLC., 2022.

Elizabeth Strout's novel Lucy by the Sea is written from the main character Lucy's first person point of view. The novel employs a fragmented narrative structure, which simultaneously distorts linear time, defies literary convention, and enacts Lucy's emotional experiences throughout the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The following summary relies upon the present tense and a more streamlined mode of explanation.

When the COVID-19 virus begins to emerge in New York City, Lucy's first husband William urges her and their daughters to leave the city. Their eldest daughter Chrissy leaves for Connecticut with her husband Michael. Their younger daughter Becka stays in the city with her husband Trey. Lucy thinks that William is being alarmist, but eventually agrees to leave New York with him for Maine.

Lucy and William travel from New York City to Crosby, Maine. They move into a rental house owned by Bob Burgess, a man with whom William is friendly. Although Bob is unaware, William had an affair with his ex-wife Pam years prior.

Lucy is moved by the beauty of the Maine landscape. However, the unfamiliarity of her new coastal environs also unsettles her. The same is true of the house where she and William are staying. Although it could have been lovely at one time, Lucy hates it, as she always hates being in other people's homes.

As the weeks pass, Lucy begins to realize that the virus is not going away. The lockdown could continue for months. She therefore attempts to settle into a routine with William. However, being with him often feels uncomfortable, as it reminds her of their difficult marriage.

Lucy starts to develop a friendship with Bob. The two take walks together on a regular basis. These walks inspire the new friends to share stories from their pasts. They do not try to hide the heartbreak, loss, and disappointment they have experienced.

Meanwhile, Lucy grows increasingly worried about her daughters. Becka's marital complications and Chrissy's miscarriage particularly upset Lucy. She realizes that she may internalize their sorrow too much.

Lucy and William start to rediscover their old intimacy. After William comforts Lucy during a panic attack, they sleep together. Over the following days and weeks, they decide to get back together for good. Not long later, William helps Lucy let go of her New York apartment, finds her a writing studio in the area, and buys the Maine house for them.

Lucy meets up with her daughters in New York after they all receive their vaccinations. Realizing that Chrissy is not doing well, Lucy shares experiences from her own life with her daughter. She urges her to confront her loss rather than trying to hide from it. She talks to Chrissy about the difficulties in her marriages, and her lifelong feelings of loneliness, isolation, and insignificance. When she says goodbye to her and Becka, she suddenly understands that the girls do not belong to her. When she meets up with William afterwards, she embraces him, realizing that she must trust herself and face her fears.