For those who like the genre of Jan Karon’s Mitford series, this should be right down your path. This is a sequel to The story of Arthur Truluv. I must confess I didn’t like this book quite as well. I found that there were more characters than in AT which took away from the sweetness of the story.

This is a truly heartwarming story. If you have read The Story of Arthur Truluv, then you will be familiar with some of the characters in this book. It is not necessary to have read it as this book stands on its own. This story is in a quaint small town where everyone knows your name and your business. Personalities aside, the members of this community always take care of their own. Lucille Howard is a former teacher and excellent baker. She gives baking lessons and is quite the perfectionist. You will meet many characters in the town, root for them when things are going wrong and are happy when things go well. Altogether a great read that gives you a lot of hope!

Also reviewed under the name IrishEyes430 on B&N and Kobo

Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg, a book about a small town and its inhabitants, is the perfect antidote to the divisive world we live in today. The people in Mason, Missouri care about each other, help each other and are there for one another. We would all be a lot better off if the whole world was like the fictional town of Mason. If you need to get a way from the real world and escape into the world of a book for a while, this one is a great choice.

THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg was my favorite read in 2017 so when I heard there was a follow up that focused on Lucille’s story, I was all in. NIGHT OF MIRACLES is just awesome. It’s not just the plot but the way that reading this book makes you feel. It makes you feel light and good. It’s the perfect conclusion to Lucille’s story and the appropriate next chapter for Maddy. My favorite thing about Berg’s writing in these novels is her honesty. She writes characters so fully that you know them and can visualize everything about them. The stories and characters flow together, and before you know it, you’ve read the whole book. I love the addition of magic to the story this time around. I like the idea that those we love and that shape us never really leave us even if they die, like Arthur and Frank. I loved the honesty of Lucille and Link – something I think that is much more common in the young and old because the middle is always trying to find the appropriate answer given the circumstances and Berg captures that too. Tiny and Monica were perfect additions to this story and also Iris. I hope we see more books that follow these characters. Berg blessed us with a hopeful story full of loving characters that reads fast and funny and that you will remember for a long time.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is chock full of interesting characters and ideas. They all live in a small town, interact, and try to help each other out. It is both happy and sad, but ultimately full of hope.

Great book. Had never heard of this author before and I can't wait to read more. The story kept me entertained and kept my interest!

I loved this book. It touched my heart. It made me want to embrace the people in my life. To care. Small town, Mason. A slice of life being lived in an ordinary way. Because of Lucille, Iris found connection and closure. Lincoln found comfort. Tiny and Monica found each other. Nola and Maddi, love.
Thanks to Net Galley for this lovely reading experience. I might never have found this book. #NightofMiracles #ElisabethBerg #netgalley @randomhouse

NIght of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg checked all the boxes for me. I had never read the first book, The Story of Arthur Truluv but I had no problem catching on to the previous books characters and immediately fell in love with the new ones. I truly believe and have experienced the kindness of strangers and neighbors and I feel like it is so important to remember that we have little to fear from them. That kindness always wins! I highly recommend!

If you want to read a nice book about nice people, this is the book to read. The story takes place in the small town of Mason, Missouri, where a small number of lives intersect. Lucille, is an older widow, who lives in the house of her friend Arthur who has also passed away. He left the house to Maddy, a young woman who had moved in with Arthur when she was 18 and pregnant to be his housekeeper, after Arthur died, Maddy let Lucille live in the house and Lucille became Grandma to Maddy's daughter. They come by often to visit. Iris recently moved to town two months prior to our story beginning, she is single, having ended her marriage 10 years earlier. She is looking for work, and ends up interviewing for a job with Lucille. She has become good friends with her neighbor, Tiny, who has a crush on Monica, a waitress at the Henhouse, where he often goes to eat. Next door to Lucille are Abby, Jason and their son Lincoln. Because of difficulties that Abby is having, Lucille finds herself looking after Lincoln, when Mom and Dad are unable able to. This is a fraction of the characters in this novel, but you can quickly see how lives intersect, and in Mason, a neighbor is really a person who touches your life, and the lives of those who touch your life. Everyone in this story has their own struggles and complications, and it sure is fun to read about all of them and see how things work out for these characters. While this was not my favorite Elizabeth Berg novel, it was a good one -- easy and fun to read, with solid characters, a number of laughs, and a strong desire for everything to work out a-ok.

Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg was a bit harder to get into than its predecessor due to the large cast of characters. After the characters have been introduced, Ms. Berg charms her readers with a heartwarming small town story of friendship and love.

We first meet Lucille in Arthur Truluv. I thought night of miracles might pick up at that story’s end, but it starts many years later, basically at Lucille’s end. She has led a long, productive life, and while she might be rather brusque at times, her {late} neighbor, Arthur, taught her to open up and be more giving. In Night of Miracles, readers see how much fuller Lucille’s life became when she did open herself to up to friendly relationships with neighbors and other new experiences.

Night of Miracles is told through multiple storylines that read like vignettes about many of Manson, Missouri’s inhabitants. Eventually, Ms. Berg ties each of the town folks’ stories together by revealing Lucille’s influence on their lives.

The highly sentimental end had me smiling through my tears. Night of Miracles is a lovely sequel to the author’s The Story of Arthur Truluv.

Night of Miracles is a sequel to The Story of Arthur Truluv, one of my favorite books of last year.

Like Truluv, this is a sweet story about how we can choose to be happy and to be a community supporting one another. There are a lot more characters and story threads in this book than in its predecessor. While some of the characters are familiar, there are many more to meet and come to know. As a result, this felt somewhat less focused. Overall, I liked this book but not as much as the first one.

I strongly recommend reading The Story of Arthur Truluv before this one, though it probably is enjoyable enough if read as a stand-alone. The carry-over characters are much more fully formed in Truluv and knowing some of that backstory would round them out for the reader.

Thanks to NetGallery, the publisher and the author for an advance reader copy of this in exchange for my review.

Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg is life after Arthur Truluv, a character that had touched lives in the first book. I would say lives of his fellow characters but lives of the readers, too. At least his life spoke to this reader. Now I couldn’t wait to see what Lucille Howard was up to now. She had been a friend of his, with him greatly influencing her.

Now it is Lucilla’s turn to touch many of the lives around her, perhaps even more than Arthur did. This plain spoken woman with a heart of gold is finding family and giving love in her work and in her neighborhood. I loved her visits with Maddy, someone else strongly influenced by Arthur. However, this is really Lucilla’s affect on others, with many new characters who round out her life as well as the story. This is a book of real life, with aging issues, weight issues, loneliness issues and love issues. Sounds like life with any small group of family and friends, doesn’t it? It would be too, if it wasn’t for the exceptional writing by Elizbeth Berg, which makes it charmingly delightful.

One last note - While this book could be read on its own, you owe it to yourself to meet Arthur too.

A sweet snapshot of lives lived parallel and then intertwined with each other. The characters are interesting and relatable while the plot carries you through effortlessly and invitingly. Definitely one for your shelf!

Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy of "Night of Miracles". I enjoyed the characters very much. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. There are some sad parts in her books but for the most part they are very uplifting. I would recommend this author and her books to anyone.

Great book. Enjoyed reading it. This is a book about a woman that is dyeing, but she keeps sending the grim reaper away. She wants to wait till her neighbor gets home from the hospital as she is watching their son. I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for a honest opinion.

I loved The Story of Arthur Truluv and its characters so I was very excited to read Night of Miracles, which includes characters from Story of Arthur Truluv, Lucille, Maddy and Nola, and introduces us to some wonderful new characters that I ended up loving just as much. The story focuses mainly on Lucille and her new business teaching baking classes in her home, but we get to know the new people who come into her life. My new favorite characters from this book are Tiny and Iris, both real, honest and giving people. I found myself chuckling at times, smiling and touched by the caring ways of many of the characters, and there were also some tears shed. This is such a heartwarming and beautiful story of friendship, thoughtfulness, a community coming together, love and loss. I absolutely adored everything about this book. It is indeed a delightful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this book.

Lucille is aging gracefully. She teaches baking classes and she bakes caramel cakes for the local diner. She has touched many lives in her small town of Mason, Missouri. Her classes have begun to overflow so she hires an assistant, Iris. Iris becomes more than an assistant. She becomes a great friend. Then, there is the family next door. Lucille helps with their little boy, Link. And we can’t forget about Monica and Tiny. Will they find what they are looking for?

Every character in this story grabs you and plucks at your heart strings. If you read The Story of Arthur Truluv you have not forgotten how enriching it is! This novel is right up there with it! This is such a sweet and kind story about love, family, friendship and basically…life!

There are quite a few characters in this read. My favorites are Lucille and Link. Their relationship just twisted me in knots. I think it is because Link needs a friend now more than ever. Lucille knows this and she is there when Link needs her the most!

This is one of the sweetest reads of the whole year. And if you are not careful, it will make you shed a tear or two!

I received this novel from Random House for a honest review.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Random House for my unbiased opinion of the book. This book picks up where The Story of Arthur Truluv leaves off. It’s a story of tragedies, new beginnings and ways of thinking. I loved this book what a great addition to the series. I loved all the things Lucille is doing in her authoritative way. The new characters propel this book to the next level. I hope there is another book. Elizabeth did it again!! Keep up the great writing!

"That is the gift of love, not only that you have somebody but that you are changed by somebody."

This book continues the tale started in THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV. This is an excellent book but not quite as good as ARTHUR TRULUV, which I considered exceptional. I miss Arthur.

This story starts five years after the events in the first book. Lucille lives in Maddy's house and has started baking lessons. Daddy is reaching some success with her photography plus with raising her daughter Nora.

There are more characters added, each memorable in their own way. And author Berg does such a good job presenting those characters and having the readers care for them.

This book is well worth reading, a heartwarming story of love, friendship, and loss.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg

Dear Fellow Reader,
Youi know how I am supposed to tell you when I get a book given to me to review (as in I didn’t pay for the book or borrow it from the library)? Well, this is one of those books but bigger than that, this is a new Elizabeth Berg book. In case you missed it in the past, I am a fan. I like her books and I like her Facebook page. (You should check it out and then follow it!) I truly think she and I could be friends. (Remember Honey Thacker in the movie Notting Hill that tells Anna Scott (Julia Roberts character) that they could be friends?)
I am going to see Ms. Berg in person this week. One of my friends thinks she would like to come just to watch me get kicked out when I tell Ms. Berg that we should be friends. I am not going to tell her but I do think we would get along.
So, between the freebie thing and my “fangirlness”, you might not think this will be a fair review. Well, you are wrong. Although I have liked most of Elizabeth Berg’s books there is one that I didn’t like. I’m saying that so you won’t think that I will ALWAYS give her books a good review.
Getting to the new book…
Night of Miracles is the continuation of the story started in The Story of Arthur Truluv. (my review of that book can be found here - https://cecooney.com/2017/12/06/who-knew-old-man-could-be-a-theme/) In Night of Miracles, we are re-introduced to Lucille, Maddy, and Nola several years after the conclusion of The Story of Arthur Truluv. Lucille is still living in the house that had belonged to Arthur Truluv. She is teaching baking classes but she is starting to feel her age. Maddy, who inherited the house from Arthur is away at school with her daughter, Nola. A new family has moved in next door; a young couple with a 10-year-old son. When an unexpected crisis hits the family, Lucille helps by taking care of their son, Lincoln. But there are other new characters that enter the world of Mason, Missouri. Iris moves to Mason to start over and finds a friend in Tiny, the cab driver. When Iris decides she needs a part time job, she applies to help Lucile with the marketing of her business. In the meantime, Tiny is in love and wants to ask Monica out on a date. The two of them have problems connecting and it leads to some misunderstandings.
I think my favorite part of reading Elizabeth Berg is that, with her writing, you are quickly drawn into the characters and the story. Without a lot of words, she can develop a character that you understand and want to know more about. She puts you in the heart of the character and you live there during the story. It is a wonderful talent and I appreciate her stories for that quality.
If you haven’t read The Story of Arthur Truluv yet, please read it and then you can move on to Night of Miracles. I think you will enjoy the characters and their story.

Thanks for reading.