The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel

The cover of this book made me think of the movie "Up!" which is why I requested it. I find stories that capture the relationship between young people and older people enchanting. Arthur is not a grumpy old man, though he is lonely. He visits the cemetery every day to share lunch with his deceased wife and one day meets a young teen named Maddie who is also starved for connection with people. Arthur reaches out to her and without hesitation invites her into his sphere. She is doubtful of his friendship and invitation to visit anytime; he is quick to reassure that she she should have "come yesterday". Arthur recognizes the need for human interaction in those in his neighborhood and seeks to include them. He opens his home to a troubled teen and a grieving neighbor and the three of them form a unique family that has such a deep bond even though nothing else connects them. It's really magical to experience. Berg has done a masterful job of exploring the ideas of love and acceptance and the gentle caring for each other. This book makes me realize: it really can be this easy to love our neighbors - and what a rich blessing to all involved when we choose to be open and accepting.

Additionally, Berg has some exquisite writing in this novel. She has a way of writing and my heart responds: "Yes, that's exactly how it is/was/feels".
One of my favorite quotes from the book is this: For everything there truly is a season; if his life's work has not taught him that, it has taught him nothing. The birth of spring, the fullness of summer, the push of glory in the fall, the quiet of winter. (location 2279)

My Disclaimer:

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.

~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review

What it’s about…

Nora has been dead for six months and is buried in the town cemetery. Arthur Moses travels across town to the cemetery every day to have lunch with her.

Maddy Harris is a girl who is about to become a young woman without having had a childhood. Her mother died shortly after she was born. Her father shut himself off from her.

Lucille is Arthur’s next-door neighbor. She loves to cook and bake and talk. She has just gotten a letter from the love of her life who married another woman back then.

This is the story of what happens when these three people meet and life does what life does.

Technical Tidbits…

The cover is absolutely wonderful! Not only is it appealing and what made me want to read the book, but it totally relates to the story and is a great metaphor for Arthur himself.

The storyline is simple and sweet.

The characters are the whole story.

The pace is the pace of life itself.

The tension is the same as waking up each morning and not knowing what will happen that day.

The quality of the writing is magical. Ms. Berg creates a slice of everyday life and invites us to share it. This little corner of Americana. This is happening on a daily basis somewhere in our world, it just may not be playing out quite this way. Three people collide and life happens. In this case, magic happens because of the love of one of them.

And this is where you STOP if you don’t want to see any SPOILERS…

The good, the bad, and the ugly…and how much it lit up my life… ✰✰✰✰✰

O…M…G! This is really magic! The reason I called the cover art a metaphor for Arthur is because Arthur has so much love inside him that he tries to take care of everyone. He tries to shelter Maddie and Lucille. He tries to shelter Gordon, the cat. His talking with the spirits in the cemetery is his way of sheltering them, too. He has so much to give that he does it without thinking about it. It’s his automatic response. So that little scene where he shares his umbrella with Maddie at the bus stop is a perfect metaphor for Arthur Moses.

It’s amazing the amount of life in these 240 pages. We have a young woman sneaking out to give her sleazebag older boyfriend a blowjob just to get his attention. The same young woman running away from home now pregnant with the sleazebag’s child. She, of course, has had a lousy childhood due to a dead mother and a distant father. Then we have a fluffy old lady who cooks, bakes, and gossips. Then she takes up with the guy who got away until he dies. Then she grieves so hard so can’t take care of herself. And that’s without Arthur!

If we add in Arthur, we have so much more. Do we say Arthur is senile because he speaks with the spirits of dead people in the cemetery? Or is he a medium? How do we explain the fact that he can see into the past lives of those spirits and know how they lived before they died or how they died? Or exactly what they looked like and what they wore when they were buried? And whether or not they were happy with that?

Who or what is Arthur Moses? Is he a special spirit sent to spread love in this world and into the afterlife? He certainly seems to do that. The only person he seems to not care for is Maddie’s sleazebag, but he threatens him in defense of Maddie. When Maddie is prepared to move out because Lucille is going to move in, Arthur convinces her that having Lucille there will be a good thing so that Maddie will stay. When Lucille isn’t too sure about continuing her cooking school because her students might disrupt Arthur’s home, he tells her he’ll be thrilled to have them in his home. He tries to take care of everyone so that they are happy.

And in turn, everyone wants to take care of Arthur. And Arthur needs caring for because he is getting older and doesn’t really pay any attention to taking care of himself. So when it came his time to die, he had people around him to take care of him who loved him.

Highly Recommended.

“What is it that makes a family? Certainly no document does, no legal pronouncement or accident of birth. No, real families come from choices we make about who we want to be bound to, and the ties to such families live in our hearts” - The Story of Arthur Truluv

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gem of a book and a joy to read. The central theme is the sadness of being lonely, the search for fulfillment, and the importance of family – the kind you’re born into and the kind you choose. The story revolves around three main characters: Arthur, an elderly, romantic widower, keeps his deceased wife alive in his heart by visiting her grave every day; Maddy, a sad, lonely, neglected teenager, who clings to the idea of her deceased mother, wants to be seen and loved; and Arthur’s next door neighbor, Lucille, an elderly, headstrong, meddling woman who missed out on true love and yearns to feel needed. These three characters form a unique bond that affects their life’s path and ignores the generational gap. They all find a way to fill each other’s missing pieces, bringing joy to their newfound family, and themselves. It is a sweet and hopeful story that shows one can find their purpose and joy at any point in life, where you least expect it. It also reiterates that family and love is who and what you make of it. Secondary characters and side stories only serve to show how broken our heroes are. Elizabeth Berg writes with enough heart and emotion to avoid a sappy story and deliver one that ends with a smile on your face. Definitely a feel-good read.

Six months after the death of his beloved wife, 85-year old Arthur is still grieving. Every day he visits his wife's grave and eats lunch by her tombstone. He often "talks" to the people buried around her, too. Well, they seem to talk to him, anyway---sharing their stories, their lives, their deaths.

Arthur is usually alone during these visits, but one day 17-year old Maddy shows up (she's ditched school to avoid interacting with her bullying classmates). Over time, the two form a friendship:  Arthur helps Maddy resolve boyfriend issues and family drama, and Maddy provides Arthur with practical day-to-day care and simple companionship. In the end, they both discover that it's never too late to find love and connection, even after tremendous loss.

This book has such crazy high ratings on Goodreads, and even though I did enjoy it, I'm not sure I loved it as much as everyone else. There have been a lot of books lately featuring grumpy yet endearing seniors, and I'm just kinda over it. It's become gimmicky. Arthur is lovable, and his relationship with Maddy is sweet, but the story is predictable and too often cheesy. Yes, I was emotionally invested---I'll admit that I cried a bunch---but it almost felt cheap, you know? Like overwhelm me with stories about how people were loved and then how they died and, yeah, you're going to get an emotional response from me. Because loss is sad, and consecutive losses are even sadder. But that's no substitute for layered, less stereotypical characters and a creative, surprising storyline.

So yeah, the book is entertaining, and I liked reading it well enough, but I wish it had more depth and nuance. Still, if you're looking for a quick, (mostly) feel-good read, I'm guessing, like most people, you'll probably enjoy The Story of Arthur Truluv just fine.

Not since "A man called Ove" have I been so charmed by a book. "The story of Arthur Truluv" is one of those novels that give you a book hangover (you don't want to start another book because you are still living in that book's world.)

"He's an old man living an old man's life"

Arthur Moses is an eighty-five year old widower. He hasn't been a widower very long and his grief is still raw and fresh. He was one of those fortunate people who marry the love of their life and stay in love until death does them part. And it did. Nola passed away over six months ago, yet he has lunch with her everyday. He takes the bus to the cemetery and eats his sandwich with Nola while discussing the day's events.

When he is not at the cemetery, Arthur spends his time talking to his cat, Gordon, and his next-door neighbor, Lucille, octogenarian and expert baker of cookies.

It is in the cemetery where Arthur meets Maddy Harris - a seventeen year old girl who comes to the cemetery on her lunch break from school. Maddy does not have any real friends. She lives with her father, but theirs is a cold relationship with little, if any, overt displays of affection. She loves to write poetry and take pictures. Maddy is very intelligent, but she has always been an outcast among her peers. She is teased, bullied, and made to feel alone. But then... she has always felt alone.

"But the longer I live, the more I come to see that love is not so easy for everyone. It can get awfully complicated."

When Arthur and Maddy become acquainted, Maddy is in a sexual relationship. She thinks that if she makes Anderson happy sexually, that he will come to love her. Above all else, Maddy craves love and acceptance. As can be predicted this relationship ends badly, as there was not any real love on Maddy's side and Anderson was just using her.

She is astounded at the love that Arthur has for his dead wife and she gives him the nickname 'Truluv'. Arthur is a true friend - and she secretly thinks he is cute with his large ears and big brown eyes. When Maddy's life takes an unexpected turn it is Arthur that she goes to for support. And support her he does. He invites her to live with him in his big rambling, old-fashioned, house. Before long, Lucille sells her house next-door and moves in with Arthur and Maddy. Mason, Missouri is a sleepy little town of five thousand souls. And now it is the home of Arthur, Maddy and Lucille.

"What is it that makes a family? Certainly no document does, no legal pronouncement or accident of birth. No, real families come from choices we make about who we want to be bound to, and the ties to such families live in our hearts."

"The story of Arthur Truluv" is a touching work of literary fiction. Told in a way that is not at all 'sappy', the book explores the themes of loneliness, aging, and family. I'm certain it will resonate with readers who enjoyed "A man called Ove" and "The storied life of A.J. Fikry". I know it will be near the top of my 'Best of 2017' list. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to read it. Highly recommended!

This novel follows three people: Arthur (a old, recent widower), Lucille (the old nosy, needy next door neighbor), and Maddy (a misfit teen). Arthur and Maddy meet at a cemetery, a place they frequently visit. This book was touching and felt real from the start. I found myself believing and caring about these characters. Well, maybe not Lucille, who can be hard to take, but she means well, and was a great character.This novel went from good to excellent when the three lives become very intertwined. After that, I loved this story, boosting this from a 4 star to a 5 star novel. The author is the narrator, which is usually not good. Berg, though, brings the sweetness and emotions to the listener. She is great with the female voices, but falls short when reading the male dialogue. This is common among professional readers of both genders. That said, I think that she added to the listening experience as narrator. This is a relationship story, but I think it is quality writing and should appeal to both men and women (I am a man). While somewhat predictable, this "feel good" novel worked for me, and earned a rare 5 stars from me.

Ok, I'm a sucker for these kinds of feel-good books! So full of heart and love. And no, it is NOT to be compared to A Man Called Ove. Arthur Moses is an eighty-five-year-old widower and retired groundskeeper living in Mason, Missouri, who visits his beloved deceased wife every day in the cemetery and has lunch with her. Arthur often looks at what is written on a tombstone nearby and imagines the life story of whomever is buried there. He wants to know who is keeping his wife company, after all. Very reminiscent of Thornton Wilder's play, Our Town, in that way--for the appreciation of how wonderful life can be.

There he meets Maddy, a young misfit girl, a loner, who also frequently has her own lunch amongst the graves. The two strike up an unlikely friendship. Arthur tells her about Nola, his wife, and recognizing his great love for his wife, she begins calling him Truluv.

Maddy's story is that her mother died when she was a baby and her father has never recovered from his grief. His heart seems closed to his daughter. She has always felt lonely and unloved, the object of scorn and teasing from her school classmates.

When Maddy becomes pregnant, her father's wishes are not her own and so she runs away from home. A concerned high school teacher, who respects her artistic talents, arranges for her to start colleges classes in the spring at a school that has facilities for single mothers. In the meantime, Arthur offers to hire her as his live-in housekeeper. Then Lucille, his spinster neighbor, feeling her life is lonely, also asks to move in. She is a marvelous cook and baker and plans to teach cooking classes in his kitchen and Arthur impulsively says yes.

Can three strangers with very different personalities learn to live together? The resulting mix is often hilarious, with a few irritations, but mostly they are compassionate and understanding towards each other's foibles.

I predict their appreciation of life will open your heart just a little wider. "Arthur thinks that, above all, aging means the abandonment of criticism and the taking on of compassionate acceptance." Amen to that!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of Ms Berg's lovely new book. This would make a perfect holiday gift for friends and relatives.

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg is a feel-good novel with life-affirming messages. This is about three people who have lost someone, are lonely, but ultimately find companionship and a family with each other.

"Arthur thinks that, above all, aging means the abandonment of criticism and the taking on of compassionate acceptance."

Arthur Moses, eighty-five, lost his beloved wife, Nola, six months ago. His days consist of caring for his roses and Gordon the cat, and taking the bus to have lunch at the cemetery with Nola. Arthur is an optimist, but he desperately misses his wife.

Quite by chance, Arthur meets Maddy, a high school student who will be turning eighteen soon. She skips lunch and classes to avoid her classmates. Often she goes to the cemetery where she sits and take pictures. Maddy's mother died shortly after she was born and her father seems to blame her for the death. Maddy craves love and acceptance. To make matters worse, her classmates relentlessly bully her. Once she and Arthur meet and form a friendship, she gives him the nickname Truluv.

Across the street from Arthur lives his neighbor Lucille. She is a retired school teacher who often calls Arthur over to sit on her porch when she sees him. More importantly, she sends delicious baked goods home with him. Lucille lost her one true love in high school and is over joyed when he reconnects with her. When circumstances cause these three people to bond together, they not only support and help each other, they form an unlikely family of sorts.

This is a wonderfully written, charming story of how people can help each other and form their own family through their friendship, compassion, and emotional support. Set in Mason, Missouri, a small town of five thousand people, The Story of Arthur Truluv has a small-town-Fannie-Flagg feeling to it. It is a simple story, but charming. There are not any shocking surprises - it is not that kind of story. And while there are some harsh and challenging things that happen, our characters are going to get through it. We know they will because it is that kind of story. You know it will provide positive messages and have a feel-good ending. And, you know, sometimes that is what you need.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.

Stunning and heartwarming tale of love, family, and what it means to be connected by invisible strings of humanity.

I absolutely LOVED this story! When THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV arrived at my doorstep, I was swept away with the immediacy of the storytelling, the way the characters of Lucille, Arthur, and Maddy came barreling into my life (in a good way). The empathy! The emotion! The authentic dialogue, the flawed characters, and the bits of wisdom interspersed throughout were truly delightful.

Everyday, at lunchtime, Arthur Moses rides the bus to the cemetery where he has lunch with his late wife. He packs a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a thermos of milk, a cookie or two and he sits, on her grave, chatting with her, sharing his thoughts and worries and just 'being.' That's when he spies a a young girl, also at the cemetery. She's probably in high school, he thinks. She's a but edgy and lonely. She's avoiding something; school probably. An unlikely friendship strikes up. Maddy nicknames him 'Truluv,' because he has this way about finding joy and mirth in just about everything.

A slightly meddlesome neighbor who is a retired 4th grade teacher and loves to bake...a torn father-daughter relationship, and so much more encompass this sweet, quick read, that is full of so many life-affirming and reckoning truths. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll see a bit of yourself in all these characters and then you'll want to be an even better person.

Truly a unique read, one I loved very much. I'd compare the writing style to /b>Cathy Lamb's quick wit and razor-sharp observations (particularly with the baking theme as in NO PLACE I'D RATHER BE), the story/plot to be a reminiscent of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE (Mitch Albom) meets THE NOTEBOOK (Nicholas Sparks).

This is a gentle and heartwarming story about a widower in his 80s who visits his wife's grave every day at lunchtime. Arthur catches a bus each day, fold up chair and lunch in tow. As he walks among other people's graves, he makes a spiritual connection with the deceased, reciting in his mind what they looked like, what lives they lead and how they met their end. While faithfully keeping lunchtimes with Nola at her grave for months, he has seen a young woman out of the corner of his eye also holding court at the cemetery. For lonely and melancholy teenager Maddy finds a certain kind of peace among the graves that she does not find under normal circumstances. Arthur and Maddy have been aware of each other's presence at the cemetery for awhile, but finally approach each other one fateful day. This sets the stage for a loving and unexpected friendship that heals loneliness and warms hearts.

The story is rounded out by a third character, Arthur's neighbor Lucille. She calls herself a "master baker" and often lures Arthur up onto her porch with promises of her delectable orange blossom cookies. A long retired teacher and never married, Lucille is a wonderful cook and baker who hasn't given up on romance. She is another broken facet in this story who finds quiet comfort in Arthur's compassion.

Arthur is an old man with a heart of gold, wisdom and a generous soul who through his loving gifts, also receives. This is a very easy and effortless read that will make your heart glow.

This ebook was graciously provided by NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Oh Arthur! This guy had a soft heart and these two ladies waltzed right into it. I really loved Maddie. Arthur met Maddie in the cemetery where she would sit and draw. They had a comfortable relationship, where nothing was expected, and it was as if the air relaxed a bit when they were together. Arthur went to the cemetery daily to visit his wife, Nola. He would keep Nola up-to-date with all the latest information he had, as he missed her so. Lucille lives across the street from Arthur and she has good intentions but she also has high energy. Lucille is a busy-body and boy, does she like to talk. The three of these individuals make a great mix in this novel.

Maddie is pretty much a loner who goes to school. She hangs out at the cemetery where she sees Arthur daily but really doesn’t say anything to him. Arthur notices Maddie at the cemetery daily too while he’s eating his lunch and talking to Nola but again, he doesn’t converse with Maddie. It only takes one day and then, the two of them finally start talking and a friendship emerges. Lucille, from across the street gets involved when Maddie begins coming over to Arthur’s house. I like the difference in ages between the characters and how they each have something to offer to each other. With different personalities, they can compromise and talk to work things out. It’s a sweet book and one that will leave a smile on your face.

Random House and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Story of Arthur Truluv. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Arthur Moses buried his wife Nola six months before, yet he lunches with her almost daily. He visits other graves as well, imagine the once living people who reside in spaces near his beloved.

Maddy Harris feels more at home in the cemetery that she does in the rest of her life. When her separate world intersects with Arthur's, an unlikely friendship with born. Along with Arthur's next door neighbor Lucille, will the trio be able to make life a little less lonely for them all?

I am usually a fan of Elizabeth Berg's characterization, so I was surprised that it took me a while to warm up to Arthur and Maddy. My interest changed gradually and I found myself wanting to read just one more page. For a relatively short novel, The Story of Arthur Truluv makes quite an impact by the ending. The love and respect by the characters for each other is clearly felt and, although the plot is a little lacking, the book is well balanced overall. Arthur reminds me of a kinder, gentler version of Ove, which means that he also does not have the spark that the aforementioned character does. Regardless, I enjoyed reading The Story of Arthur Truluv and would recommend it to readers who like realistic and contemporary fiction.

“What is it that makes a family? Certainly no document does, no legal pronouncement or accident of birth. No, real families come from choices we make about who we want to be bound to, and the ties to such families live in our hearts” - The Story of Arthur Truluv

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gem of a book and a joy to read. The central theme is the sadness of being lonely, the search for fulfillment, and the importance of family – the kind you’re born into and the kind you choose. The story revolves around three main characters: Arthur, an elderly, romantic widower, keeps his deceased wife alive in his heart by visiting her grave every day; Maddy, a sad, lonely, neglected teenager, who clings to the idea of her deceased mother, wants to be seen and loved; and Arthur’s next door neighbor, Lucille, an elderly, headstrong, meddling woman who missed out on true love and yearns to feel needed. These three characters form a unique bond that affects their life’s path and ignores the generational gap. They all find a way to fill each other’s missing pieces, bringing joy to their newfound family, and themselves. It is a sweet and hopeful story that shows one can find their purpose and joy at any point in life, where you least expect it. It also reiterates that family and love is who and what you make of it. Secondary characters and side stories only serve to show how broken our heroes are. Elizabeth Berg writes with enough heart and emotion to avoid a sappy story and deliver one that ends with a smile on your face. Definitely a feel-good read.

Thanks to the publisher, Random House, via NetGalley for an e-Uncorrected Proof in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy reading novels by Elizabeth Berg and this was no exception. It's a wonderful, charming story about three lonely people who find each other. Each of them, Arthur, age 85; Maddy, age 17; and Lucille who is elderly and a neighbor of Arthur's, lose the person they love most in the world. For Arthur, it's his wife of many years. He takes the bus to the cemetery every day and eats his lunch by his wife's grave. He talks to her and imagines the lives of those buried nearby. Maddy, a loner, lost her mother at a very young age and her father, in his grief, shows her very little emotion as she grows. Lucille is a retired teacher, likes to bake, and is very lonely until she reunites with a former classmate who was her first love.

Maddy, who does not fit in at school, skips lunch and goes to the nearby cemetery daily. Eventually she and Arthur meet and become friends. Arthur is compassionate and helps people he knows. These three people need each other and find the comfort of family when they are together. The side stories are interesting and tie the story into a terrific novel. The characters are delightful in this emotional, uplifting book that should be another best-seller for this talented author.

What a truly delightful read! It’s like “A Man Called Ove” but without the crabbiness. Arthur Moses, 85, has lunch each day with his wife Nola – at the cemetery. Nola has been dead six months. Arthur is a truly sweet man and has a positive attitude toward pretty much everything.

Eighteen-year-old Maddy often visits the cemetery to get away from the other kids at school. It is here that Arthur and Maddy meet and develop an unusual friendship. Because of his devotion to Nola and his kindness Maddy gives Arthur the nickname “Truluv”. Maddy’s mother died in a car crash when Maddy was only two weeks old. She doesn’t get along with her father and the kids at school pick on her. To ease her loneliness, Maddy escapes into her world of photography.

Also dealing with loneliness is Arthur’s elderly neighbor Lucille. While quite nosy, their lives all change as the three of them form a compassionate bond creating their own version of a little family – oh, and mustn’t forget Gordon, the cat – to deal with life’s struggles and to find hope and a new purpose in life.

This book is a delightful escape from with these delightful people – and Gordon. Smile, laugh, cry – I love a book that taps into my emotions and makes me what the characters in the story feel. That is great writing.

I want to thank Random House, NetGallery and Elizabeth Berg for allowing me to have this ARC to read and review. It is hard to write this review without giving too much away and I think this is one of those books that is better read without knowing much about the plot.

This gentle story tells of three people – two senior citizens and a teenager - with absolutely nothing in common except their own feelings of loss, grief and isolation, and how they chose to bond together and restore purpose and joy to one another’s lives. This is a story of friendship, love, and the family that you have as well as family that you choose. The writing is polished and gives vivid pictures of each character and event. I’ve enjoyed other books by Elizabeth Berg, but this one was, to me, a step above the others. One thing that was a bit unusual is that there are no chapters in the book. Some found it off-putting; for me it was only a problem in that I kept on reading (where with a chapter break I might have put it down). As a result, I finished this in a couple of sittings, sooner than I was ready to leave it.

Several reviewers have compared this (and not always favorably) to A Man Called Ove. I think there are definite similarities but each stands on its own, not least in that in this book, Arthur is always positive and loving, with none of Ove’s curmudgeonly grumbling and demeanor.

I will say that this was nearly a 5-star read for me, except for an improbable pivotal event in the teenager’s life that just didn’t ring true. Otherwise, very well done, Ms Berg!

This quaint story was the perfect beach book that I read in a day.

Arthur is an older gentleman that you will easily fall in love with because he is just so sweet. His wife, Nola, passed away and Arthur walks to the cemetary to have lunch with her every day. It's not that he feels he can't live without her, but he feels she is th egreatest woman he has ever met and she deserves to be visited. While he is there, he forms an unlikely friendship with an 18 year old girl that has some personal issues mainly stemming form her mother's death when she was just 2 weeks old.

He also has become friends with his neighbor, Lucille, and by some twists of fate, they all become family with Arthur unknowingly bringing them all together and giving Nola the daughter they never had in a sense.

This book was just very sweet and heart warming and exactly the kind of book I needed for reading at the beach.

"He supposes a great many ills of adults might be cured by a nap or a good meal or a bit of timely reassurance. But adults complicate everything. By nature they are complicators. They learned to make things harder than they need to be and they learned to talk way too much." - Arthur Truluv

"Why do they pick on her? ... What girls do to each other is beyond description. No Chinese torture comes close." - Maddy

"Oh Arthur, no one even sees you when you get old except people who knew you when you were young." - Lucille

This was a lovely little intergenerational gem of a story exploring "What makes a family"? Arthur Moses is a widower who meets 18-year Maddy while visiting his wife's grave. Arthur is the embodiment of a perfect "grandfather". He is steadfast, loyal, wise, and caring. Maddy nicknames him Truluv due to those characteristics. Maddy is a lonely misunderstood teenager. She has had a rough life and is just craving love and acceptance. Lucille, Arthur's next door neighbor, is a real character. She provides humor, contrast, and a counterpoint to Arthur's character. As Lucille advances towards the end of her life, she realizes that she has not really lived and starts to change this. Through their own circumstances and in their own way, Maddy, Arthur, and Lucille come together to create a "family" of their own.

This is a sentimental story that would make a wonderful Hallmark movie. Readers who enjoyed A Man Named Ove will like this story. I only wish the author had provided recipes for all of the mouthwatering treats mentioned in the novel.

<b>4 sweet, feel-good, “true love ?” stars to The Story of Arthur Truluv</b> ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I listened to the audio of this special story, which was narrated by the author, Elizabeth Berg. Her voice and inflection suited the storytelling perfectly.

At first Arthur seemed a little quirky (even a little “Ove-y”), but then when he was fleshed out more, he became a true gentleman in my eyes. Arthur is a widower in his 80s who meets Maddy, a teenager going through emotional turmoil due to bullying and lack of friends at school and the loss of her mother. Add in Lucille, Arthur’s vivacious neighbor, and true friendship (and friends as family) between these three characters is explored.

Some may think this story is a little predictable or too syrupy sweet, and I can understand that. But I also think it’s the perfect break between heavier reads and, even more importantly, serves as a reminder of the good in the world, the importance of friendship and kindness, and how the simplest of stories and characters can cause you to smile with your whole heart.

It has been a long time since I came to the end of a novel and then burst into tears, but it just happened, and it was glorious in a bittersweet way. You MUST read, "The Story of Arthur Truluv." It is my new favorite book, out of the thousands I have read. Elizabeth Berg has always been a brilliant writer, a keen observer of the simplest, and yet most profound things in life (love, family, frailties, loss, hope) but she outdid herself this time. I never could have imagined that a simple story about an old man, (Arthur Moses, a/k/a Truluv), and a young woman (Maddy) who has lost so much, and Lucille, (Truluv's elderly, nosy, but kind neighbor), could be so moving, so beautiful to witness albeit through the written word, or so engaging, but it was all of these and more. While I could see the end coming, I was not ready for the final scene in a graveyard where the name of an un-named character is revealed, and whose name was the cause of the tears running down my cheeks. Don't let this book remain unread. Give yourself the gift of "The Story of Arthur Truluv!"

A friend suggested this book to me when I told her I was searching for novels featuring older heroes and heroines. I'm so glad she did because The Story of Arthur Truluv is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read.

This is the story of three people who, together, form a loving family: Arthur Truluv, the widow across the street, and an eighteen-year-old girl on the cusp of womanhood. Each of the three is alone and grieving a loss - a spouse lost after decades together, a long-ago dream of love, and the loss of a mother in infancy.

It's lunchtime, and as always, Arthur visits with her at her grave while he eats, then he wanders among the tombstones imagining what the occupants would tell him if they could speak.

Arthur, who would probably call himself a simple man. The way in which he becomes a catalyst for transformation shows him as self-effacing, sometimes awkward, and often wise, gentle, and loving.

This is a heartfelt book about love, loss, friendship, rebirth, and deep truths - and through it all, the wisdom of a man called Truluv.
The worldbuilding is beautiful, the characters so real, the writing gently powerful.

I read this book as a library loan.

In the same vein as A Man Called Ove, Berg's latest novel doesn't disappoint. This delightful, easy read is about three people whose lives intersect because of loss. Arthur is a widow that visits his dead wife's grave every day to have lunch with her; it is here that he meets Maddy, a teenager who hides out in the cemetery to avoid high school. Although they are an odd pairing, Berg's character development brings their relationships with loss and loneliness to an end and in its place, creates a beautiful friendship. Lucille is Arthur's neighbour. She is incredibly forward and the epitome of a nosy neighbour, but totally endearing. Fresh from a loss of her own, she becomes part of their makeshift family.

My only criticism is that I wanted more from the relationships. I wanted more Nola and Arthur, and more of Maddy and her fathe

Just the sweet cover of Elizabeth Berg's The Story of Arthur Truluv makes me want to read it. Once I got started, I didn't want to stop. In this book Arthur is an octogenarian grieving the loss of his beloved wife, whom he refers to as Nola Corrine, the Beauty Queen. Each day, he takes the bus to the cemetery to have lunch with her. He talks to her headstone, telling her all about his days and the weather. He misses her so much and just wants to feel like she can still hear him. One day, he notices a teenage girl sitting under a tree in within the cemetery walls. Then he notices that she comes back day after day, too. Wondering what she could be doing out of school and never seeming to visit any grave in particular, he waves to her, then introduces himself. Soon a friendship between Arthur and the girl, Maddy, develops and it is utterly sweet. Maddy has her own troubles, and a nose ring that Arthur can't understand, but she is able to talk to him in a way she can't talk to anyone else. Also chief among the cast of characters is Lucille, Arthur's long-time next door neighbor. Bossy and nosey, she nevertheless becomes an important part of his life.

This book is darling. I really loved the characters and Arthur's sweet, sage advice is as good for eighteen-year-old lost girls as it is for eighty-year-old wandering spinsters. When Arthur visits the cemetery each day, he pauses at other random graves, reads the headstones and then "gets" things about those buried there. He knows (or imagines he knows) things like how they met their spouses, their favorite flowers, the things they liked to eat. He even "gets" a story about one man's red robe, a Christmas gift that caught on fire after bumping a candle the first time he tried it on. These little stories are sprinkled throughout the book and add so much texture and love and it then occurs to the reader that we are "getting" Arthur's whole story, or at least more than the snippet we get of the others. Quick! Someone hug me!

One bit that really spoke to me is when Lucille feels she is old and useless, that she has nothing left to do in this world.

"It's so embarrassing to be useless."
Arthur refuses to believe anyone is useless.
"Did you ever hear anyone say they wanted to be a writer? ... Everybody wants to be a writer...but what we need are readers. Right? Where would writers be without readers. Who are they going to write for? And actors, what are they without an audience? Actors, painters, dancers, comedians, even just ordinary people doing ordinary things, what are they without an audience of some sort?
See, that's what I do. I'm the audience. I am the witness. I am the great appreciator."

I think it can be tempting in this world to think that if we aren't the writers or the actors or the painters that we have no value, but I kind of like the idea of being the great appreciator.

There are so many good lines in this book.

"Are you hungry?'' Lucille asks. Her favorite thing is asking that and having you say yes.

"Sometimes I wonder what the world would sound like if everybody stopped complaining. It sure would be a quiet place."

And my favorite:

Love is never foolish. Or unnecessary.

I may not be an octogenarian, but one small part in this book made me feel a bit old. It happens when Maddy talks about owning her mother's Tori Amos CD collection. She talks about it like I might have thought about my parents' Eagles albums. I suppose the passing of time sneaks up on all of us.
Can I get another hug?

This book is wonderful and sweet and lovely. I really enjoyed reading it and I hope you will, too.
Hugs for everyone!

Check out more of my reviews at smartgirlsread.blogspot.com !

Late fall and winter always lead to a book hibernation for me. The nights are long, the gray skies and constant cold chase me indoors. All I want to do is hover under a blanket and read about people and places that make me feel warm inside.

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a warm blanket book. Reminiscent of Frederik Backman's, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, it is a story about loss, home, grief, reinvention and moving on. Although the themes in the book are heavy at times, Berg weaves a story of hope even in the middle of heartbreak. It doesn't feel depressing but full of light and joy.

There aren't many books that feel whimsical, but this is that rare book. Arthur Moses is quirky in a good way. He eats lunch at his wife's grave every day and while there he imagines the lives of the neighbors around her. He meets Maddy, a lonely teenage girl on the cusp of adulthood, but carrying the weight of her lonely childhood on her shoulders. She also goes to the cemetery, but for very different reasons. The two form an unlikely friendship and become the family they both need.

It's also a story about how to care for people who have never experienced the love of another person. You see this in both his friendship with Maddy, but also his growing relationship with his neighbor Lucille Howard. Each of the characters feels ignored or invisible, either through old-age or grief. And don't we all feel this way at times? We know what we need but don't know how to ask for it, or we don't know what we need and keep looking in all the wrong places. The journey of each of the characters reminds us that we are never too lost to be found. And it reminds the person who cares for others, that relationship takes time and patience.

As the holiday season becomes more intense with a flurry of activity, give yourself permission to take a night off, sip a good red wine, favorite tea or hot chocolate drink while you snuggle under a blanket and wrap yourself in a feel good book that will help you get through the dark winter days ahead.

This book makes overtures to the popular "A Man Called Ove"-- complete with childless widower, cat annoyance, bossy neighbor, and bittersweet life lessons learned all around-- but with a mere fraction of the charm.

Arthur Moses visits his wife's grave every day. He doesn't have much human contact outside of his neighbor, Lucille, who is a general irritation to him even if she does bake amazing cookies. Every day at the graveyard, he is surrounded by the stories of the deceased to keep him company. Then he notices the teen girl who hangs around the cemetery sometimes. She'd be a very pretty girl if not for that nose ring.

For whatever reason, life has deemed it appropriate to give Maddy Harris a raw deal. When she was a baby, her mother died in a car accident, and her father never got over it. In his grief over his lost wife, he barely notices that Maddy is still alive. The kids at school treat her like an outcast, and Maddy has never been able to figure out why they hate her so much. Her first boyfriend is a total jerk to her. And then she gets pregnant in the most medically improbable (impossible?) manner, a situation which more or less leaves her homeless.

Lucille is in her eighties, and, at long last, her first love has come back to her. She's been alone for a long time, but there's still time for a second act. She finally sees the appeal of living into her nineties. But then a tragedy strikes and sets Lucille adrift.

This book is about Arthur, Maddy, and Lucille slowly finding each other and forging an unlikely friendship. I suppose it's meant feel heartwarming, but it didn't work for me. I didn't connected with the author's writing style at all. There's lots of words in *itallics* and lots of exclamation points!! I feel like readers can be trusted to place the proper emphasis on words without such copious help. Secondary characters are two dimensional, like Maddy's father and her boyfriend, both of whom serve no purpose beyond making readers feel sympathy for Maddy. In lieu of well-developed characters, this book takes the easy road to jerk tears from readers: birth and death. At 240 pages, this slim volume felt a lot longer.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.

This was a charming and moving story of Arthur, a recent widower in his 80's who meets a 17/18-year-old Maddy. A girl without a mother and a distant father. Maddy is a smart young lady but falls for an unsavory young man. When she turns up pregnant her fathers reaction leads to a fracture in their already strained relationship.

Maddy finds solace at the cemetery. Sitting peacefully in the tree line watching and listening. When Arthur, who visits his wife's grave every day to lunch with her, sees Maddy he strikes up a conversation that leads to an unlikely friendship.

Arthur has never been an outgoing person. But he tries to be neighborly to Lucille, his elderly neighbor.

Three people feeling alone in the world. Three people who change each others worlds just by being there. By filling holes left by the ones they loved. Proving that a family is not necessarily the people you are related to but the people you relate to.

This was a charming story of hope, love, and family. I enjoyed it immensely.

Netgalley/Random House November 21, 2017

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a beautiful, delicate surprise. A rather short book that rightfully flows from beginning to end with only double line spacing to mark changes or pauses in the storyline, it is best with no chapter breaks. By the end I had fallen in love with the main characters, the aging Arthur and the young Maddy who is covered with the sadness of being different in so many ways. I was immersed in their individual stories and their collective potential for happiness. They meet in a cemetery and quietly begin a friendship that crosses age barriers.

I am not generally an openly emotional person, but The Story of Arthur Truluv left me in tears, not of sorrow but of hope. Hope for the characters and for the future of real people who find themselves closed in by circumstances but trying to address life and death with hope, courage, and the gentleness that emanates from kindness.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet charming book about how one does not to be related by blood to be a family.

Artur Trulov is a older man who visits his beloved wife's grave everyday and bring his lunch and a chair to share some time with her. Arthur tends his roses and shares his time with Gordon his cat and briefly shares time with her neighbor, Lucille. Maddie Harris finds peace wandering the graveyard where she sees and finally meets and speaks to Arthur. She is a troubled teen having lost her mother when she was quite young and seems to have lost the love and affection of her father at the very same time. Lucille, also seems loveless. She lives alone with her cooking and baking being the whole of her life.

How these three people, bereft of love and caring is the basis of this lovely novel. They come together to form a bond of happiness and caring that delights the reader and makes you fall in love especially with Arthur. It also points most wonderfully the closeness one can have between the young and the old. “Happiness is only real when shared”

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a touching novel that reminds us that life should be lived to the fullest and that family can be any unit created by love and not limited to those related by blood.

The story is told from three different points of view; Arthur, a kind-hearted widow whose loneliness is palpable and who spends the better part of his days at the graveside of his late wife; Maddie, a troubled teenager, struggling with bullies at school and an apathetic father at home; and Lucille, a retired school teacher who has spent most of her life pining for a lost love.

The prose is eloquent and reflective. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are strong, multi-layered, and endearing. And the plot is a compelling tale of friendship, happiness, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, honesty, humour, unconditional love, growing old, and the true meaning of family.

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a moving, delightful story that will make you laugh, make you cry and is hands down one of my favourite reads of the year.

4.5 stars. It’s been a while since I was so taken and charmed by a book. Berg has created a memorable cast of characters and Arthur especially will win your heart. When life gets you down this is the book to read that will restore your faith in human goodness. Better yet, don't wait and read it now. It will leave you with a full heart, a lump in your throat, and a tear in your eye.

Octogenarian Arthur Moses is lonely. The highlight of his day is visiting his late wife’s graveside where he chats with her as he eats his lunch. Maddy is a 17-year-old motherless girl who hides out in the cemetery to avoid a miserable home life and the rejection and bullying she is subjected to at school. She gives the name Truluv to Arthur for his devotion to Nola, his deceased wife. Lucille is Arthur’s elderly neighbor who loves to bake and is a bit of a busybody but has a big heart.

Fate brings these three people together and what follows is amusing and heartfelt, with deeper meanings about aging, grief, loneliness, family, and connection.

*many thanks to Elizabeth Berg, Netgalley and Random House for a copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review

Everyone needs someone like Arthur Truluv in their life! . This trio are all on different walks of life and though they come together under strained circumstances it all makes sense. Family isn't just blood its what you make it and the people who are there for you when you need them the most. Arthur, Maddy and Lucille sucked me into their unconventional family and didn’t let me go until the very end. I love them separately and all together. They each learned from each other and I loved the support they gave each other and how they accepted one another quirks and all. I honestly can’t even write a review to give this book justice. I loved the characters, the message and the overall feeling after I finished reading this story. I’ve never read or heard of this author before until now and she has managed to suck me in with her way of words. This story tugged at my heartstrings and I had tears in my eyes when I finished. This is one story that I won’t forget anytime soon and will definitely be listed as one of my top reads of 2017.

*NetGalley Review*

Oh my goodness! The best book I've read in years! My only complaint is that it ended far too soon. After 218 pages, I was totally immersed in the world of Truluv and wanted to stay there at least 200 pages more. It's been a while since I read anything by this brilliant writer, and I'm not sure why because she just never misses. I laughed and cried and wondered aloud at her incredible ability to make me feel so many different emotions. I absolutely fell in love with the small cast of characters, each of them bringing out the best in the others and seeing in them, the ways he/she could be better as well.

I've read a number of Ms. Berg's previous novels and liked them all, but this one is special. It reminded me of Kent Haruf's classic work, "Plainsong," also a long-time favorite of mine. If you liked it, you will definitely like Truluv. In any case, it's one to put on your list. Highly recommended.

I have to say that I had had high hopes for this book given that I am a big fan of Elizabeth Berg. And then, when I read the book's description, I thought it sounded a little unoriginal and worried I wouldn't be into it. But I'm so happy to say that my high hopes were fulfilled! Berg took a topic that is in some ways unoriginal- An unlikely pair, a young person and an older person, meet and end up learning from each other and enriching each other's lives in unexpected ways. But Berg has a way of storytelling that makes a "typical" story so original and her own... While this novel isn't a long one, there were so many little details that really gave both Arthur and Maddie personality and brought the story into the current times. Berg could have made Arthur your standard bumbling elderly man, but she gave him personality details that anyone can relate to and that added a nice touch of humor to the book.

This will probably be a quick read for you and if you're already an Elizabeth Berg fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed. If you haven't read any Berg yet, I would get started right now with some of her older stuff (she has SO much good stuff!), but would definitely add this one to the list. It felt a little bit different than "old school Berg" to me, but still so, so good.

Well!! This book hit the spot! It is an absolutely charming read and gives you all the feels. I fell so hard for Arthur. He is a joy. He visits his wife's grave every day at lunch, which is where he meets Maddy. Maddy is a unique and sad young lady. Her mother passed away when she was young and her father is not much of a father. She and Arthur develop a relationship and it is just exactly what each of them need. Throw in a pesky neighbor named Lucille and you have a perfect family.
Did I mention I love this book. One of the reasons is the chemistry between ALL the characters. Each bring something special into the relationships, plus all have some baggage or hang up. Maddy is a heartbreaking teenager. She does not fit in anywhere, school or home. She is bullied and even has thoughts of suicide. Arthur is her saving grace. (Like I said, HE IS ADORABLE!).
This is the perfect book if you are looking for a heartwarming, delightful read. Plus, you may shed a tear or two if you are not careful.

What is family? While any definition of family will always include mother, father and children, we know there are many other kinds of family. This book explores one type – the unrelated friends who become family to each other. Arthur Moses, aka Arthur Truluv, had a wonderful marriage and misses his dead wife greatly. He misses he so much he has lunch in the cemetery every day. In the cemetery he meets Maddy, a high school student who just doesn’t fit in. She and her father also don’t get along. Arthur Truluv has a neighbor, Lucille, whose one true love comes back into her life for only a short time. As each of these people struggle with their lost loves or their never had loves, they come together as a truly loving and supportive family. This is a charming book that shows how good life can be if people can let their guard down and accept one another.

A very brief but extremely moving book. We meet Arthur, his neighbor, Lucille, and Maddy, a very lost young women close to graduation high school, and together, they form a very offbeat, yet close and supportive family. Each has experienced a great loss of love, yet they move forward, with the help of each other, and one very cranky cat named Gordon. The book was so simple, yet the emotions captured and communicated were so deep and complex, that I found myself moved to tears several times, aching for each one of the characters. The flip side was also the joy and comfort that they brought to each other, that almost restores your faith in humanity. "Find the helpers"...was a very symbolic message throughout the story, that I think we can all carry with us. This is a story you will finish in a single sitting and then ruminate on for days to come.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this sweet story! There are times when everyone needs to read a heartwarming story and The Story of Arthur Truluv is the perfect choice.

Arthur recently lost his wife and he visits her at the cemetery on a daily basis. One day Arthur meets Maddy, a lonely teenage girl, while at the cemetery. They strike up an unlikely friendship. Meanwhile, Arthur’s neighbor Lucille, is struggling with loneliness and the loss of an old flame that she had recently rekindled.

When Maddy is faced with a life-changing event, the three band together and create their own little family, finding happiness and fulfillment along the way. It was refreshing to read about such kind characters who are willing to open their hearts to others.

This was a solid 4.5 star read for me. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random House for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

I just closed this book and I have tears streaming down my face. Usually, I wouldn't care for a book that left me in this emotional state. This book was different, however.
This is one of the best books I have ever read, maybe in my whole life.
I was looking forward to this new book by Elizabeth Berg, The Story of Arthur Truluv for months. I have read all of Berg's books, but I can't remember when the last one was. It has been a while, that's for sure.
It was so worth the wait!
This book is a love story, but not a typical one. You will be drawn into the lives of these people immediately. This is a book you will not be able to put down, and yet you must, because you are going to want to go slowly and savor the characters and the story, to make it last as long as you can.
You will truly love this book. The characters will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Read this book!

5 stars

What a delightful and charming book!

Arthur Moses who lost his wife just six months earlier and visits her grave every lunchtime, Maddy Harris a lonely and confused teenager and Lucile Arthur’s neighbor who is a little nosey all meet in this charming novel.

Drawn together by loss and a special kind of friendship and love, these three people form the center of our story. They help one another through hardship and the loss of loved ones and together they make a new start in life – for the better.

This is a remarkable novel about three of the best kinds of friends. It is written with tenderness, nostalgia and a measure of pain. It is very well written and plotted. It moves along very nicely and tells a wonderful story.

I want to send a big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group/Random House for forwarding to me a copy of this most remarkable book to read.

I've long been a fan of Elizabeth Berg's writing and this book is in my opinion, her best yet! The characters are vivid, the story is sweet and bridges all age groups.

I absolutely loved Arthur - who wouldn't?! And I came to love Maddy and even Lucille in her maddening but well-meaning way.

There were so many times I had to read a passage more than once just because of the beauty and truth - - and sometimes sadness - - of it. Like (and I paraphrase) "nobody sees you when you're old unless they knew you when you were young". So true usually and yet as this story showed, that's not always the case. Yes, there's a lot of sentimentality and perhaps wishful thinking of how things should be in this story. But what's wrong with that? It gives hope that perhaps things can be like this - and that even when there are tears, there are smiles for all that came before. I loved this book!!

The Story of Arthur Truluv is one of those quiet novels that slowly peaks your interest the more you read it. Arthur is an 82 year old widower who spends his time going to the cemetery to visit his wife's grave. He also developed a habit of visiting her "neighbors", and trying to imagine their lives prior to death. This is also where he makes Maddy's acquaintance, an 18 year old girl who finds her own comfort in the graveyard. This two strike up somewhat odd but heartwarming friendship and with the addition of Lucille, Arthur's elderly neighbor they form a bond that would rival any blood family. This book doesn't really have the usual plot but its charm lies in the well developed characters and the observations about life and it's somewhat and often times complicated meaning. This is a great book for those who love their stories more about little slices of life events and lovable characters.

The world could surely use more people like Arthur Moses in it!

The world could surely use more people like Arthur Moses in it!

When I first heard about The Story of Arthur Truluv; my first thought was, another book about a cranky old man, how many books can I stomach like A Man Called Ove this year? Much to my delight, Arthur "Truluv" Moses couldn't be more opposite from a curmudgeon. This book is the story of an unlikely crew, an elderly widow, a young teenage runaway and a nosy next door neighbor, and how you can find a family in the most unlikely of places.

Told in Elizabeth Berg's signature fantastic writing style, Arthur, Maddy and Lucille are a motley crew who will warm their way into your heart and find a permanent home there.

When I think Berg cannot possibly write another wonderful heart warming story, she proves me wrong. I adored Arthur. He's the kind of character that endears himself to a reader right out of the gate. Just the fact that he loved his wife enough to go to her grave every single day and eat his lunch there "with her" was enough to make me fall in love with him. When he meets eighteen year old Maddy, both their lives change in ways neither would ever have guessed. Loved loved loved this story. Uplifting and life affirming. Thanks you Elizabeth.

Barbara A. Whittington, author
Vada Faith
Missing: Sweet Baby James
Ezra and Other Stories
Dear Anne: Love Stories from Nam

This is vintage Elizabeth Berg. Sometimes the plot dances in a way that seems sweetly improbable, but that's okay, because the characters are so well-drawn that you read this in one afternoon. Comfort food for the soul.
BTW: I love how food is incorporated into the domestic narrative, and most especially the desserts. Reading about them is eye candy for readers with a sweet tooth (like me) and a real gift to readers from an author/baker. Who knows? Maybe someday Berg will write a cookbook with recipes of food described in her novels, maybe with pictures of the kitchens in which the various characters baked the stuff. A real swim in Comfort Food World!

Just the type of sweetly sentimental and quirky character book I used to enjoy from Anne Tyler, this was my first foray into Elizabeth Berg's fictional universe. As a woman of a certain age - almost a generation younger than Arthur and Lillian - I related completely to their feelings about making human connections, finding purpose in their elder years, and latching on to the future they saw for themselves with new life coming into their world. The circumstances of Maddy's conceiving a baby I found rather unconvincing, but I suppose it's possible. I have known people like all of them - Arthur, Lillian, Maddy and even Maddy's father Steven. The characters rang true, and the story left mewanting to know these people.

I've always enjoyed Elizabeth Berg's novels, though, since she is wildly prolific I must admit I haven't read them all. This tale is a very sweet one about an elderly widower and a teenaged girl who meet in a cemetery -- where the Arthur of the title (real name Arthur Moses) goes every single day to have lunch with his recently deceased, beloved wife, Nola. Arthur is a remarkably perceptive man, and Maddy is a desperately needy girl. She was orphaned twice as an infant, first when her mother was killed when she was just two weeks old, and then again when her father died inside, unable to express love after the death of his wife. In a charming, occasionally wrenching way, Arthur, Maddy, and Arthur's overbearing but devoted neighbor, Lucille, make a family together, one in which each gains strength from the others. Sure, it's a bit trite, and even manipulative at times, but it's a lovely read, and at the end it's hard not to feel some hope for the human race.

This is a charming book that really highlighted for me how talented Berg is as a writer and how diverse her stories are. Arthur is in his eighties, still grieving the loss of his wife, Nola. He has lunch each day with her at the cemetery, sitting by her headstone while he eats his sandwich, sharing the news of his life.

Maddy is a teenage girl whose mother died when she was an infant. She and her father aren't very strongly connected, she's not close with people at school, and comes across Arthur one day in the cemetery during her lunch period.

Their friendship is beautiful and special.

Berg's novel can be enjoyed by young and old readers alike. I loved seeing an older character who had a lot to offer the world and a teenage girl who could recognize that gray hair isn't what a person is judged on.

Truly charming.

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg is a poignant, impactive story. It has real, genuine characters that I grew to love. Some might say it has a predictable plot but so, what. The characters of Arthur, Maddy and even opinionated Lucille became so dear to me that I laughed with them a few times and shed a few tears other times. I couldn’t help but envy Arthur’s (Truluv) positive outlook at 80+, along with the sphere of influence he had on others.

While it is a contemporary novel it has a lyrical almost poetic feel at times. making it a pleasure to read. I did not just see these scenes and events, I felt them. A touching story that sticks with you long after you have closed the book.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

Arthur 'Truluv' is a prince of a man, faithfully remembering his wife by visiting her grave and talking to her daily. His friendship towards poor, troubled Maddy is an extension of his kind self, recognizing a need in another lonely person. There are some funny, quirky moments in this tragically edged story, full of humanness and struggle, especially when neighbor Lucille is involved.
Arthur's influence on others makes me want to be a better person, show more compassion, give more grace. That alone made this a worthy read for me.
(The writing is good, but the foul language and sexual content were a detraction, I felt, and would be a better read without it.) 3.5 stars

(An e-book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)

This is a beautiful book, and a hopeful one. I think that's general enough not to constitute a spoiler.

Here's one step further toward potential-spoiler territory: you do not need to be afraid of what [author:Elizabeth Berg|3529] will do to you.

There are characters to love and characters not as admirable, but even the latter are not cardboard villains. There is a potential supernatural element, but the reader need not view it as such.

Caveat: there will be some who regard the plot as having a political dimension, of which they may or may not approve. For what it's worth, I don't believe that is Berg's intention. I believe she chose the plot and its direction in spite of that possibility.

Any reader looking for an uplift in spirits should consider reading Elizabeth Berg’s latest finely written novel titled, The Story of Arthur Truluv. Three characters. Arthur, Lucille and Maddy, are united in grief and loneliness. Despite a wide age difference, the friendship is real, and the behavior of each character provides a positive example for every reader. True love takes many forms, and the name that Maddy bestows on Arthur perfectly matches the love he has for his late wife, and the love he extends to both Lucille and Maddy. I think Berg’s novels are often popular with book groups, and the discussions about this novel will make for interesting, possible tearful, conversations.

Rating: Four-star (I like it)

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was such a wonderful, gentle read about aging, loneliness and the people who become our families. The story centers around Arthur, who visits his deceased wife at the cemetery every day, and Maddy, a teenager who is struggling with life. They meet at the cemetery and their friendship enriches both of their lives tremendously. They join forces with Arthur's older next door neighbor Lucille and form a little family of their own.

I really felt this book portrayed elderly people in an illuminating light. Too often, older people are overlooked instead of valued for their talents and experience. Really a lovely read

Elizabeth Berg has a hit on her hands with this novel! I wouldn't be surprised to see it on bestseller and award lists.

I fell in love with Arthur Truluv within the first few pages. Who couldn't help but love a man who visits his wife's grave every day where he feels still connected to her spirit - and a few of those around him?

His visits don't go unnoticed, through. A teenager sitting alone beneath a tree finds herself drawn to this elderly man who has so much to offer in terms of friendship, care and life lessons.

This novel is a feel-good novel from beginning to end. Don't be surprised, though, if you shed a few tears. It's that good!

ARC provided by Net Galley

I’ve read quite a few Elizabeth Berg books and, while always fairly entertaining, haven’t enjoyed her most recent work as much as her earlier novels. While not as good as the best of Berg’s work, this one is better than many of her recent efforts, with a return to charming form … A weird thing to say about a book that is mostly about grief, but true.

Arthur Trulov is a widower who visits his wife’s grave daily. On one of his visits he meets, and bonds with, a troubled teenager. Together with his prickly neighbor Lucille the three form a strange sort of family, based on their own lonliness and pain. Despite that this is funny, cute and not really at all depressing.

This is a very fast read, filled with sentiment, but not too schmaltzy. I think the best word for it — and most of Berg’s work, actually — is “cozy.” A sweet, simple story.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was such a wonderful, gentle read about aging, loneliness and the people who become our families. The story centers around Arthur, who visits his deceased wife at the cemetery every day, and Maddy, a teenager who is struggling with life. They meet at the cemetery and their friendship enriches both of their lives tremendously. They join forces with Arthur's older next door neighbor Lucille and form a little family of their own.

I really felt this book portrayed elderly people in an illuminating light. Too often, older people are overlooked instead of valued for their talents and experience. Really a lovely read

Arthur has been so very lonely since his wife Nola dies. Every day he rides the bus to have lunch beside her grave. While at the cemetery, he meets Maddie. She is a high school senior whose Mom died when she was 2 weeks old. Her father has never gotten over the loss so he is a distant parent to Maddie. Lucille is Arthur's neighbor. She lost her high school sweetheart to another girl and now in her 80's regrets missing out on life. All 3 unlikely people become family. This is a story of loss, friendship, and what makes a family. I really loved all 3 characters and felt each of the stories deeply. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an ARC in return for an honest review.

I found this book to be delightfully different. The characters are well defined and their point of view is very clear. Arthur is a widower who brings his lunch to the cemetery daily to visit his wife, Nola. Lucille is his nosy neighbor who is a retired teacher, wonderful baker but quite lonely. Maddy is an eighteen year old who lost her mother and lives with her father who doesn’t really understand her. She’s not typical of most of the kids her age. She spends a lot of time at the cemetery as well and eventually meets Arthur. How these characters connect makes a wonderful heartwarming story. It makes you think about what truly makes a family. I highly recommend this book.

This is a book that develops slowly, but in the end will win your heart.
Arthur visits his wife’s grave every day and one day he encounters Maddy – a lonely and bullied girl.
She becomes pregnant by her obnoxious boyfriend and Arthur takes her in. They also welcome in a bustling, cooking neighbor, Lucille.
They become, as well as their story ones you will like.

After losing his wife (Nola), elderly man (Arthur) finds a second family (Maddy and Lucille).

This was a simple, yet beautiful, story about second chances. If you're in the mood for a sweet story about the kindness of strangers and creating familial bonds with friends, I would highly recommend this story. I enjoyed the eccentric, fun-loving characters of Arthur and Lucille, and my heart was warmed by how they took lonely, love-deprived Maddy under their wings.

I would recommend this to fans of A Man Called Ove!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I really loved this book. Yes, i see the likeness to A Man called Ove but i see many differences. Arthur is a doll, unlike Ove, and he is 85 not 58 as was Ove and the tone is much different for me, anyway. I adored Arthur, Maddy, and Gordon and found the evolution to feel sweet, loving, and right. i hated to leave the characters and thought E. Berg hit the tone just right. And, i can say that for me, sentiment is not a bad thing and i was moved by the situation, the humanity, the outcome in a good good way. Arthur will stay with me. Even wacko Lucille whose heart is always in the right place was a gem. THANK YOU for a lovely read. Recommend!

If you haven't read Elizabeth Berg before, this is a good place to start. She has a knack for writing heartfelt thoughtful stories of people who are coping with life the best way they can. In this case, Arthur, who so desperately misses his late wife that he eats lunch at her grave every day, bonds in ways he didn't expect with Maddy, a teen with all the teen problems and more. Add in Lucille, Arthur's neighbor, and you'll see that these three form a small but important family. This is a soft, lovely read which won't surprise you but will make you smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is the perfect book for these difficult days.

I absolutely loved this story of three lonely people who come together as a family with heartwarming details and lots of laughs.

The style of writing reminded me very much of Frederik Backman and I truly love his books.

My first book by this author, however, it won't be my last.

A very emotional, poignant and funny, at times, story that will either leave you needing tissues, or at least with tears in your eyes.

Thanks to Random House and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

What constitutes a family? Is it a mother, father, sister(s), brother(s), a cat, dog? Maybe, or perhaps it is people, who have no connection other then they discover that they care and need each other. Arthur (Truluv) Moses is a widower who misses his wife and honors her by visiting her grave every day. Lillian is a next-door neighbor who tends to be overly curious and very lonely. Maddy is a bright, neglected teenager, raised by a father who can’t communicate his love. They become the best definition of family.

Sweet, sensitive, humorous, insightful, poignant, just a wonderful book.

What a charming and sweet story! I loved Arthur, an 85-year-old widower, Maddy, a 16-year-old high school student who has no friends her age, and Lucille, Arthur's elderly neighbor who loves to bake and share her sweets with Arthur. These are three lonely people who come together in a most unusual way and form a bonding and loving friendship. It was sad in parts but yet very uplifting and just so beautiful. This is one that I would pick up and read again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A family isn't always made through blood. Bring together three lonely strangers in a story, and you will see how love can truly form a family. I wish I could meet Arthur, the widow in his 80's, who longs for his lost wife. Then there's Maddie, who is the 17-year-old girl who I see in so many of my students, who doesn't have a wonderful home life. Pair them with Lucille, a lonely neighbor who was never married, and you have a wonderful story. Although the story is a little sad, it does make you stop to appreciate the good things in your life. I would recommend this book to 8th graders and up because of some of the issues that Maddie deals with in her life.

I was given this book for my honest review.

I just love Elizabeth Berg's storytelling and I have never been disappointed after reading one of her books. The Story of Arthur Truluv is a beautiful story about three lonely people who think that they are the only ones who are lonely and alone.

As the three struggle to get to know each other, they come to realize that their misfit lives just might fit perfectly together. Elizabeth created very memorable, caring characters—characters I won't soon forget—as she wove a heartwarming tale of friendship, support, and ultimately, family.

I "truluy" loved this book and I'm sure that most readers will. This is my first time with Elizabeth Berg and it will assuredly not be my last book of hers to read. This is truly a delightful book.
It is the story of interconnected relationships and how we touch each other along life's path. This is nothing saccharine here.
I started this book early this morning and have read it straight through. It was that good. Don't miss it!

What a wonderful story! You may feel all sorts of emotions as you read this book. Some happy, some sad, some good, and some bad. I absolutely love Arthur, Lucille, and Maddy! Which one of these wonderful people will you relate to the most? The love and the frustration of the characters in this story were well written. I love all my not related by blood family members! I really didn’t want to say goodbye at the end of the story.

I received this book by requesting it from NetGallery. My opinion is my own.

The story flowed very nicely and can easily be read in one sitting. However, not all of us necessarily are likely to read through even a short novel as this is in one sitting. Therefore, it would have been nice so have easy stopping places.

After saying this, I do understand the author's intent in not dividing it into chapters, and this probably won't bother most readers. Be that as it may, this is a truly mesmerising story. A reader of my age, 83, can certainly identify with Arthur. It's a beautiful book of friendship and of love of the type that Arthur had for his Nola.

Everyone needs an Arthur Truluvin their life. This book was a Xmas gift, which I might not have purchased, it’s a small book, a little over 200 pages, no chapters & appears about death & old people. (I’m 71, so I can say this.) I loved this book. I have read many of Bergs books, most of them I really enjoyed. She is a master at creating quirky characters that seem all so real. It’s story about endings & also rebirths. This book left a peaceful feeling in my soul, I didn’t want it to end.

Elizabeth Berg is back with another beautiful book. The Story of Arthur Truluv is about the family we make, rather than the family we are born with. This resonates with me as the family I was born with have little or no contact with me. In the book, one character sums it up by quoting: "What is it that makes a family?...No, real families comes from choices we make about who we want to be bound to, and the ties to such families live in our hearts." Truly heart-warming, I highly recommend this book.

The other readers in my book club and I loved this quick read book's main characters and storyline. Sometimes it is good for the spirit to read a hooklike Arthur Truluv! I gave this book 5 stars, because it is a book that I find myself recommending to others as a read that is suitable for ages from mid-teens to older seniors, leaves a reader feel positive about life, and gives family has a very broad definition.

Everyone needs an Arthur in their life! When Maddy meets Arthur it's almost like a perfect match. Maddy's mother passed away when she was a baby and Arthur's wife has also passed away leaving them voids in their life. They both frequent the cemetery and hear voices from the grave. Arthur might be one of the sweetest and kindest characters I have ever come across in a book. He develops a friendship with Maddy and his neighbor Lucille, who has lost her fiancé. Soon enough they are all sharing a home and become a family who truly loves each other even though they are not connected by blood. Elizabeth Berg writes an amazing story about making a family of the people you truly love.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. I enjoyed the book, it was slow moving in spots until you reached the middle. Once all the main characters connected the book really flew. Arthur had an interesting outlook on things and how he lived his life and loved those around him. It was enjoyable how his newly formed family did things and moved forward with the life they created. I am adding this to my book club reading list!

Arthur lives alone and has lunch every day with his dead wife at the cemetery. Maddy is a troubled teen, who's bullied at school, has problems at home, and has just been dumped by her "boyfriend" and spends a lot of her school day hanging out at the cemetery. Lucille is Arthur's next door neighbor- a lonely woman who's a bit if a busybody. How these three come to form a family shows us how family is sometimes what we make it, not what we're born to. Loved this book.

First - thank you to NetGalley for this e-book copy for my enjoyment and review. Elizabeth Berg has done it again, with this delightful story of Arthur, Maddy (his friend from his visits to the cemetary) and neighbor Lucille. This is a truly heart-warming story that the reader will enjoy from the very first few pages. The book flows along so beautifully, you can't put it down. Comparable to A Man Called Ove - just as good! Thank you Ms. Berg, again.

A beautiful story! Three people have endured heartache an loss, and now find love and open their hearts to become a family.
This quote from the book sums it up.
"What is it that makes a family? Certainly no document does, no legal pronouncement or accident of birth. No,, real families come from choices we make about who we want to be bound to, and the ties to such families live in our hearts."
A lesson that we each could learn.

I really enjoyed The Story of Arthur Truluv. It is a very sweet and heart-warming story crossing multiple generations. It is a nice book to read over the holidays. This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Berg and I really enjoyed her writing.

I highly recommend The Story of Arthur Truluv to readers who like: well written fiction stories, multi generation stories, and stories that warm your heart & make you smile & cry.

I don't usually review too many books because I read several a week and that would take up my reading time...but this is one worthy of acclaim...It lets you know that no matter age or background most everyone has something to contribute and in this story it connects them into a family and makes their lives matter and be healing and purposeful...Love a story that makes me laugh and cry and feel good and this one does.

Just finished reading (and couldn't put down) the Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg.  I chose this just because I liked the cover.  Love the unexpected pleasure of a good book chosen on a whim. And YES, I do judge a book by its cover. ❤  This was a great story about three people who loose someone they love:  widowed Arthur (Truluv), his neighbor Lucille who loves to bake, and young Maddie a lonely soul.  Elizabeth Berg masterfully writes their story and cleverly redefines the definition of family.  She is definitely added to my to be read list.

I've loved Elizabeth Berg's writing for decades, her descriptions of people, their motivations and foibles, and her descriptions of surroundings, by capturing the most telling details. This is Elizabeth Berg at her best. A love story. A nontraditional love story, but a love story nonetheless. She reminds us love is a gift whatever its form and wherever it's found and must be nurtured and treasured and held onto most tightly. Truluv, for sure!

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. I have read almost all of her books. This book is one of the most heartwarming books I have read in a long time. It made my laugh and cry. Arthur's heart is so big it's a wonder it is still contained in his chest. How his love and caring changed Maddy, an angry, lost, and hopeless soul into one who began to see life anew was heart wrenching and amazing.

I truly adored this book. Despite the rather simple story line (which did not involve much intrigue, suspense or subplots), I remained engaged throughout the novel. The characters were well developed, and the relationships they formed grew out of necessity and into a beautiful (albeit unconventional) loving family. Highly recommended!

I've read most of Elizabeth Berg's books, and this is my favorite! I cared about the characters and I loved the story. It was charming, but also completely realistic. A fast read, but not shallow or predictable. The writing is beautiful, and Berg skillfully switches points of view throughout, which enhances character depth. Highly recommended.

“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars—everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings.”
Thorton Wilder, Our Town

It was six months ago, in November, the month when Arthur’s beloved wife Nola was buried, and he’s had a lunch date with her every day since. He heads to the cemetery on the bus, strolls his way through the headstones before he sits by her, sometimes he talks to her, sometimes he just listens. Either way, he’s in no hurry, she will be there.

This day, he stops in front of another headstone that seems to be calling out to him. A woman, born in 1897, died in 1929. He adds this in his head, she was thirty-two, but he does it again because he it would be disrespectful of him to stand there thinking about her, and getting such an important and intimate detail wrong. He pictures her in his mind, her hair, the colour, how she wore it, her life story pulling him in further. The colour of her eyes, her jewelry. Holding her little ones. And then the vision of it all fades. He heads over to sit with Nola.

He looks around at the signs of spring everywhere, a new beginning in the buds everywhere, the softening of the earth, and he wishes that his wife could return like that, again and again. A new beginning for her, surrounded by life, by renewal. Where she belongs.

He sees the girl sitting on the ground off in the distance, her back against a tree. He has seen her here before, he waves in her direction, she reacts as though she is frightened, and so he turns and goes to wait for the bus to return home. The girl, Maddy, feels badly, she hadn’t meant to scare him off.

Arthur is eighty-five years old. His doctor says he’ll live to be one hundred.

Maddy is seventeen years old, in high school where she feels like an outcast. She likes to take pictures and she writes poems, and she likes to read. Her mother died shortly after she was born, but sometimes Maddy feels as though she’s watching her, senses her presence in the eyes of a doe.

Lillian is Arthur’s next door neighbor, an older, lonely woman he talks to now and then, helps her out with her yard, puts the star on her Christmas tree. She loves to bake, and she is very good at it.

These three lonely people, whose lives have been tossed about, left with the invisible bruises of heartache, and yet life somehow manages to gather these three together, binding them collectively as one. A family, of sorts, each lending their strength, their talent, some compassion, an ear, love, and, most of all – love. We all have gifts to share, it just takes the one soul to share them and another to appreciate them.

Elizabeth Berg has written a simple story, simply told, about everyday people, who together, allow love in so they can, for the first time, or maybe even once again, become real.

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
--Margery Williams Bianco, “The Velveteen Rabbit”

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group / Random House

In the six months since his wife Nola’s death, octogenarian Arthur Moses has kept busy. He enjoys doing the kinds of things Nola never let him do (like smoke a cigar at the dinner table and eat cookies in bed), he has grown friendly with his neighbor Lucille, and most days he packs a sandwich and takes the bus to the cemetery to have lunch at Nola’s grave. He misses her desperately, but also has found a way to continue finding happiness in small things.

However, Arthur doesn’t realize how lonely he’s become until he begins interacting with Maddy Harris, a 17-year-old with dyed hair and a nose ring, of all things. Maddy, like Arthur, enjoys spending time at the cemetery, though in her case, she delights in finding small scenes to photograph. One day, their paths cross, and Arthur confesses to Maddy that he can hear the stories of those whose bodies lie beneath his feet, and that he enjoys imagining their lives lived, whether recently or long ago.

Maddy comes off as tough and independent, but she may need Arthur’s help. Like Arthur, she’s lost someone --- in her case, her mother --- and when she learns she’s pregnant, she needs to find an adult who’s more supportive than her grieving father. Arthur, who never had children of his own, finds himself warming to a paternal role with Maddy, and eventually he discovers that it’s never too late to find your purpose in life.

Elizabeth Berg, who has been a perennial book club favorite with novels like OPEN HOUSE and THE ART OF MENDING, pens another winner here. Calling THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV “heartwarming” doesn’t do it justice; Berg satisfies readers’ hopes but also acknowledges the messy realities of lives and relationships. Her narrative, which easily could have traveled down paths of predictability or sentimentality, avoids both, with some surprising plot developments and earthy language that help keep the novel grounded in real life, relatable characterizations and plausible situations.

It’s convenient that THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV is being published right before Thanksgiving; it would make a wonderful gift and, given its relatively slim length, could also offer the opportunity for informal family book discussions during the holidays. As generations of families come together for the holidays, it’s fitting to read and discuss a book that considers --- and celebrates --- what the old and the young have to learn from one another.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl

For the past six months, Arthur Moses’s days have looked the same: He tends to his rose garden and to Gordon, his cat, then rides the bus to the cemetery to visit his beloved late wife for lunch. The last thing Arthur would imagine is for one unlikely encounter to utterly transform his life.

Eighteen-year-old Maddy Harris is an introspective girl who visits the cemetery to escape the other kids at school. One afternoon she joins Arthur—a gesture that begins a surprising friendship between two lonely souls. Moved by Arthur’s kindness and devotion, Maddy gives him the nickname “Truluv.” As Arthur’s neighbor Lucille moves into their orbit, the unlikely trio band together and, through heartache and hardships, help one another rediscover their own potential to start anew.

My Thoughts: The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel begins with Arthur on an ordinary day, as he goes through his routines. Visiting his late wife Nola’s grave, where he has lunch. It is his way of keeping in touch. He also visits neighboring graves and imagines what the lives of those people were like. He often remembers the moments he and Nola shared as he visits her grave.

One day he meets Maddy at the cemetery, a teenage girl who is isolated and lonely. Her father is isolated, too, still grieving the death of Maddy’s mother, but unable to share his grief with his daughter. Maddy has no friends at school; in fact the other kids often make fun of her.

Lucille, Arthur’s neighbor, reconnected with an old high school friend…but then lost him. She has given up on life now. What can she look forward to now?

Alternating narratives take the reader on the individual journeys of Arthur, Maddy, and Lucille, and reveal how they are beginning together.

An unexpected change in Maddy’s circumstances leads her to accept Arthur’s invitation to move in as his housekeeper.

Nearby, Arthur’s neighbor Lucille invites herself to move in as well. She is one of those people who is bossy and controlling, but gradually she begins to learn, through the example of Maddy and Arthur, that becoming a part of a newly created family means one has to make changes.

I loved how this story showed us the value of young and old joining together to help each other, and to make choices to begin again. As they share their lives, we learn about how unique families are created. Themes of loss, loneliness, and new beginnings kept me reading until the very last page. I will think about this story often. 5 stars.

Love! Love! Loved this book! This story made me laugh and teared me up as well. Arthur is one of the greatest characters ever and I truly loved everything about this book. Highly recommend! I thank Nwtgalley for the opportunity to read and review this great book!

I am a big fan of Elizabeth Berg and the story was a decent one. Why only three stars? It seemed taken directly from the "A Man Called Ove" playbook, which was a very superior read: Fusty old man with much beloved deceased wife finds second chance at life from an eccentric, younger (and both were even pregnant!) companion. Exactly the same premise so Frederik Bachman is due some royalties here. I hate to say it, but it's true.

Writing: 5 Characters: 5 Plot: 4

New word: Hiraeth - Welsh for homesicknesses for a home you can’t return to or never was.

An ode to the home made family, an homage to Age, and a paen to kindness. Honest, funny, and so moving tears will never be too far from your eyes.

82 year-old Arthur Moses lives with his cat Gordon and lunches in the cemetery with his dead wife every day. Lucille is the nosy neighbor who may (in her 80s) finally have a chance at love when her high school beau shows up out of the blue. High school senior Maddy Harris (nicknamed “Saddy”) often hides from school in the cemetery. She has no friends, no mother, and a father who detached when her mother died two weeks after Maddie’s birth. When something happens that causes her to leave home, it is Arthur to whom she turns, and Lucille who pushes her way into the mix.

Beautiful writing and impressive descriptions of the wisdom that one accrues with time, the values that live at one’s core, and the powerful bonds that result when people bring courtesy, understanding, and gentleness to their interactions with others. It’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with Arthur (and why wouldn’t you want to?) and to wish you could spend a little time in Mason, Missouri with the rest of them. One of the warmest and most uplifting books I’ve read all year.

I founds the book to be heartwarming and the story itself to be lovely for this time of year. The characters meshed well and the ending warmed my heart. I appreciated reading a story like this and seeing how death effects people differently. The story flowed well, made sense, and the ending made me smile. Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the early arc.

What a wonderful book, it's been awhile since I found a book that held my attention where i didn't want to put it down and it made me want to get to know the characters. So well written I want to read more by this author. I enjoyed seeing how the characters became a family and supported each other.

This was an ok book. I almost stopped reading it when I read the virgin Maddie was pregnant; really??? Toughed it out since it was a short read. Tiresome how so many unworthy books get 5 star ratings. It makes it hard for people who actually like good books to find one.

I have found another favorite author. The book seemed to start off slow and then the characters emerged into a unique story, powerful, heart-warming, hilarious, tender and loving. The “older” generation proves again, how age begets wisdom, understanding and acceptance.

This book was a sweet tale of loss, life and love. As with all Elizabeth Berg’s novels the language is beautifully crafted, the characters are memorable and the story stays with for a long time. The only negative was the book was too short and I wasn’t ready for it to end!

This was a sweet story. I loved the quirky personalities. The best thing about this book was the writing style. I loved the way Berg's mind would wander and go off on tangents and then revisit those tangents in some overt way. The book was very enjoyable.

4 1/2 Stars
A delightful read from the first to last page. A sweet story of second chances with a cast of characters you can't help falling in love with! One you won't want to miss! Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Berg has long been my go-to writer for a comfort read. Here, I watched aging widower Arthur Moses morph the daily lunches at his wife’s grave, isolated in grief and loneliness, into connections that help him -- and help others, too (old friends and new), out of their own loneliness. A sweet novel that doesn’t disappoint.

If you are looking for a book that will make you chuckle and warm your heart, this is it! A delightful story of three individuals and the path they took to become a family. This was truly a gem of a story.

ARC from Random House via Netgalley.

I think I saw this book listed as one readers who loved "Man Called Ove" would like, and I definitely did. Trueluv is not the grouchy old man that Ove is, but the friendship that developed was just as beautiful. HIGHLY recommend!

Yes, it will remind you of A Man Called Ove. Yes, it is so sweet that it could be called sentimental. But couldn't we all use a dollop of pure goodness right about now? And Christmas is coming. So what the heck. Read the book, and have your hanky handy for those tears of joy.

This book was not good, I listened to it on audible. the characters weren’t believable, Lucille was incredibly annoying. I’ve read a couple of Bergs books and they were ok. Not this one, and Im not sure if this is the first book that Berg has narriated but but she SHOULD NOT, her voice is not very inviting to listen to!!!
Mind numbing

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a joy to read. Three individuals coping with adversity find ways to turn their adversities to good fortune. With overtones of Kent Haruf's Plainsong the story is complex and multigenerational.

This novel was an easy and enjoyable read that tells the story of an elderly man and his stories and unlikely friendships. This novel made me think of grandparents and other elderly relatives that need companionship and have so much wisdom to share. I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest and fair review. I

Sweet book of the friendship of likeable characters would make a great selection for a book club! The characters are well written and not the cliche figures I was afraid they would be. This is an enjoyable piece of fiction to keep on hand when you are feeling a little down!

Charming book...was just what I needed to forget the lousy stuff going on in America and remember that there is goodness in the human condition. Nothing like Ove...thought Ove was a case in misery compared to Truluv.

I really loved this book. The story was charming, simple and sweet. The characters are complex as all interesting people are. I enjoyed reading every minute of this book. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

Overall I liked the story. It was a quick and easy read. I took away that family is more than just blood and the unexpected and scary aspects of life are sometimes exactly what is needed, even if we don't know it at the time. Oh, and Truluv (?) does exist and never dies.

I love Elizabeth Berg's books & this one is no exception. It's a great story with amazingly well written characters. If you're already an fan this is yet another good book & if not this is a great place to start.

Berg has done it again! Such a heartwarming tale of disconnected folk who connect and form a family. Berg's strength is that she completely and wonderfully captures human emotions and feelings while telling a beautiful story laden with, but not weighted down by, an enjoyable narrative. I can't put this book down!

I LOVED this book! Humorous and tear-jerking. Would have given it 5 stars but the f-bomb was dropped several times and a couple of sexual encounters. I still might recommend it to friends because it's characters were so fantastic.

I loved the way this novel dealt with a multigenerational theme. Arthur, the main character, was fascinating and lovable. The young woman that he befriended was interesting and complex. It was a wonderful read, thought provoking but not overly bleak and dismal.

My favorite author! Elizabeth Berg describes details that we all see and feel but can't put into words. I didn't want this book to end. Made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the characters. Read this book..it will open your heart!

I am a fan of Elizabeth Berg novels, and this ranks with some of her best. It is a hopeful and comforting story about three people dealing with grief and loneliness. They come together in interesting ways, and find some healing in the process. The characters are interesting and the writing is spare but vivid. It reminded me a bit of the novel Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf. As I read the last words of this novel, I was a bit tearful, in part because it was a sweet ending and in part because I was sad to be finished with the book. I will be recommending it to many friends.

I have read every one of Elizabeth Berg's books. This one was very special. I felt like I personally knew her characters. Berg's understanding of the deepest feelings humans have shines through in all her novels but especially in this one.

I was so surprised to read all the wonderful reviews. The story characters were great and it aimed for a nice story. YET, do all the readers think it is OK to have swear words in the story and a 14 year old girl sneaking out to have sex with her so called boyfriend. I did not finish the book. Very disappointing. This is Bev Etzelmueller giving the review.

The content kept me from truly enjoying this book. The F-word is used frequently. (There's also a few sex references.) This is a short, very quick read, so it's a lot packed into such a small story. (Yes, I've been called a prude plenty of times. ;) I'm not judging anyone else, though, I assure you.)

Aside from the content, it is a nice choice for a rainy day. It has its sweet moments. (Arthur is the best!) It also has its annoying moments! It's not a deep read, by any means, but it does pull on the heartstrings.

If you're like me and don't care for "extra" content, pass this one up. If you don't mind the content, and want a quick and light read on the sentimental side, this might be just what you want.

Arthur Truluv mourns the loss of his wife. Daily. Maddy too has a loss - a teenager without a mom. They meet up at the cemetery. A charming little story from Elizabeth Berg in which the characters learn of love, loss and family.