The Elizabeth Beth I loved in her early works (Range of Motion remains one of my all time favorites) is back! I devoured this delightful, well crafted novel in a day. Do not be dissuaded by the description which doesn't do this genuine novel justice. I fell in love with the characters from the first pages and was transported to their small caring world where family is defined by love not blood.
So many novels today rely on action and plot twists. It was so enjoyable to revel in a well turned phrase and a lovingly developed set of characters.

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Berg for as long as I can remember, having read all of her novels over the years. This one, this one. I loved every page of it and the last 20 pages had me wiping my eyes numerous times. Her writing is a gift, her words beautifully chosen and her characters warm and relatable. I will remember this one for a very long time. Thank you for the opportunity to read it early.

Short, sweet and deceptively simple novel about aging, love and family. Arthur and Maddie are a little too good to be true; Lucille steals the show. I have a 93 year old mother and I found this book to be a very heartening, encouraging view that even when your time is limited and you have lost the great love of your life, you can still find meaning and purpose.

THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg is a beautiful piece of fiction that will last in your heart long after the last page. In this short novel, Berg develops three big characters and shows that despite their age difference, the size of a person's heart isn't dependent on their years on earth. The love and compassion in this novel, the definition and devotion to family, the complications of fitting in, and the way all of them are brought together is engaging and lovely. Though I was granted an advanced copy of this novel by NetGalley, I will definitely buy my own copy when it's published and add it to my library of personal favorites.

THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV Written by ELIZABETH BERG

You can always count on Elizabeth Berg to give you a peaceful, gentle setting where life seems nostalgic and simpler. She has created a loveable character in eighty-five year old Arthur Moses. His daily routine brings him to visiting his wife Nola in the cemetery who has recently passed away. Arthur brings his lunch and comes equipped with his fold up chair. He is eighty-five years old and has never had children, but has a positive outlook about them. He has Nola's cat at home to keep him company and a neighbor named Lucille who he checks in on who is eighty-three.

Arthur befriends a troubled teen-ager named Maddy who instead of going to school spends her time in the same cemetery as Arthur. Maddy's mother has also passed away when Maddy was just a baby and she lives with her father, who she has a strained relationship with. Arthur befriends Maddy by inviting her back to his home for lunch on a rainy day.

The three character's interact and prove that you can find companionship in the goodness of other's. Arthur continues to visit Nola and has a habit of imagining a whole lifetime for each deceased person's grave marker he encounters based on what is engraved on their tombstone. This is a lovely story about the friendship's we make despite our life's circumstances. Elizabeth Berg has a talent for bringing together relationships made with the opportunities and circumstances that we all possess as individuals. We can find family if we remain open minded and are accepting of each other.

Thank you to Net Galley, Elizabeth Berg and Random House for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Berg and have read everything she has written. I must say that this one is at the top of my list for favorite reads. It is a wonderful story of three lonely people who find each other and realize that just when we think life is at its end, there are new hopes and possibilities. It is a story about love and taking the second chances life gives us. It is also a story about families. These are characters that the reader will care about from the first pages. It is a warm story about the importance of life and how we live it.. It was a pure joy to read, Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the chance to preread this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A melancholy and sweet story of hearts in transition. I loved meeting the characters: each one was special - and the acceptance and movement in their interactions was such a pleasure to read. I recommend it.

Another wonderful story by Berg, who takes the reader through a variety of emotions in this story of two unlikely friends.

What a lovely story. The characters were very real to me, and I couldn't wait to finish the book to find out what happens to them.

A recently widowed man, Arthur, visits his wife's grave every day because he dearly loved her and misses her so much. At the cemetery, he meets teenage Maddy who doesn't feel loved at home and who is an outcast at school. Arthur's neighbor, retired schoolteacher and never-married Lucille connects with her high school sweetheart, but their relationship is cut short and she is devastated.

How Arthur, Maddy, and Lucille come to live under one roof and become a family is mostly due to Arthur's generous, laid-back character. It's a sweet story and rather short. It reminded me in some ways of "A Man Called Ove"--although Arthur isn't a curmudgeon--and maybe a little bit of Fannie Flagg's recent novel "The Whole Town's Talking"; it's definitely a departure for Elizabeth Berg.

Sweet, touching book about the power of friendship and the meaning of family. The relationship between Arthur and Maddy progresses in a logical and believable manner, proving that you don't have to be related to become family. For fans of Berg's other novels and authors like Anita Shreve or Elizabeth Strout.

Some of my greatest reading pleasures have come from Elizabeth Berg, so I was very happy to receive an uncorrected proof on Kindle of her latest offering from NetGalley and Random House. Now that I've finished, I wish I had the actual book so I could give it a big bear hug. I've never hugged my tablet before, but I guess I could start now....
No, it's just not the same but will suffice for now.

There seems to be a trend, as the population ages, for books about old folks, and I found myself comparing Arthur to A Man Called Ove, and Lucille's situation to that in Our Souls at Night. But let me be clear -- this book is not a knock off. Ms. Berg's characters and story are not only original, but unique, loving, and expertly crafted from her heart and soul. I loved Ove, but Arthur is not the cantankerous geezer Ove was. Arthur is his own person, a man grieving and remembering his deceased wife by visiting her grave every day, but also a man who still loves living. He honors Nora and their memories, and has no one now but his neighbor, Lucille. At the cemetery, he meets a troubled teen named Maddy and their friendship transforms both of their lives.

This book has charm, warmth, and will bring back all the good memories of parents and grandparents now passed. Home cooking, rose gardens, and family -- the one you were born to or the one you make. It will tug at your heartstrings.

Absolutely beautiful story. Fans of Ove will thrill to these believable and utterly lovable characters. Loved it!

"The Story of Arthur Truluv " is an absolutely gem of a book. The three main characters in the book, Arthur, a widow, Maddy , a lonely, misfit teenage, and Lucille, an elderly single neighbor of Arthur end up interacting with each other in such a way so that a truly lovely story evolves. Although, there are sad elements in the book, the story is actually uplifting and a delight to read.

A beautiful story of love and loss and creating a family. Arthur is reminiscent of Ove but without the cantankerousness. He visits his beloved wife’s grave and while there he meets a girl, Maddy, who has no love in her life. Arthur’s neighbor Lucille is also alone and searching for love. When these 3 combine they find something none of them knew they were searching for.

I've read several Elizabeth Berg novels, and they are usually hit or miss. This one was a miss for me. Interesting premise though.

Arthur and Maddy.  Arthur and Lucille.  Arthur and Nola.  Important women, all at different points in Arthur’s life.  Widower Arthur visits the cemetery every day to have lunch at his wife’s graveside.  This may sound odd, but he’s doing OK.  He gets up, gets his meals, tends to the aloof cat and gets out of the house.  He’s got a friendly neighbor, Lucille.  Arthur meets Maddy at the cemetery where she is escaping the frustration of lunch alone during high school.  He sees in her a soul most lost than his own self.  Arthur decides that Maddy needs a friend and he is at the perfect point in time, though over 80, to extend her that welcome.
This story touches on loneliness, friendship, grief and loving kindness.  I really enjoyed the story.  I felt the three main characters were developed to the point where I knew them.
This is a very good story!

Such a sweet and charming tale. It’s the kind of book that just warms your heart as it aches with the sadness each of the characters feel. Despite the simplicity of the prose (which I feel is perfect for this book), there is a lot underneath the surface about loneliness, loss, regret, and life after all three pass. While the main three are all well-done, the true shining star is Arthur. He’s just the loveliest character. I found myself smirking at so many of his thoughts and even once laughing aloud.

Was it predictable? Absolutely. But, somehow that didn’t bother me. It’s a satisfyingly heartwarming story that wraps up just how you would expect. I didn’t feel like it cheapened the story in that respect and I sped through the whole book in less than a day.

I have two complaints though. One, chapters. Why are there no chapters when you switch between three characters? It irked me not to have a good stopping place. Two, and without giving a spoiler, something that seems medically-impossible occurs. It felt a little black-box to me and I just can’t let it go. Overall though, it was lovely and I enjoyed it.

Another wonderful novel by Ms Berg....Always enjoy her stories. Have highly recommended this one to all of my reading friends.

Thank you Netgalley.com for the advanced digital copy of The story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg in return for my honest review.

I loved the idea of The story of Arthur Truluv more than its execution. I thought this book was going to be the perfect fit for me and my reading tastes, but I was not wowed by this novel. Listen, everyone should be so lucky to have an Arthur Truluv in his/her life, a wise elderly gentleman who is genuinely good and kind. What lost me was that he reached out to a perfect stranger and started changing lives, including his own, for the better, almost immediately. I believe in the beauty of connecting with others and it's transformative powers, but as much as the premise intrigued and touched me, it didn't feel like a realistic story. Arthur Truluv visited his wife, the love of his life, everyday at the cemetery. His loss and loneliness was heartbreaking, but his devotion inspiring. Maddy, a lost and unhappy high school senior, escapes to the cemetery each day during lunch for some relief from a brutal school day. Arthur and Maddy meet by chance, and together life is instantly better,. But, it happened too quickly, too easily, and their interactions didn't feel honest. I didn't believe Arthur would ask this girl back to her home nor was it believable that she would accept such an invitation with little suspicion.

I love Elizabeth Berg. She is an amazing author. The Story of Arthur Truluv will definitely have a following, but for a real treat read Open House and A Year of Pleasures two of my favorite novels.