Ducks, Newburyport

Lucy Ellmann’s monumental novel unfolds as a single, breathless sentence capturing the inner monologue of a mother in Trump-era America. Through digressions, anxieties, memories, and humour, Ducks, Newburyport becomes a portrait of a country shaped by violence, inequality, and environmental crisis. Ellmann’s stream-of-consciousness style is bold and immersive, demanding attention while rewarding readers with profound emotional and political insight. She reveals how private fears and public dysfunction become intertwined. The result is a virtuosic, boundary-pushing novel that critiques contemporary America with both fury and compassion.