The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg. You will fall in love with Arthur Moses in this story. This eighty-five-year-old is living in the fictional town of Mason, Missouri and recently widowed. He has a routine of going to his wife's grave every day at lunchtime. There he meets a teen girl, Maddy Harris, who prefers spending time in the cemetery over spending time with her peers and her emotionally distant father. These two lonely souls strike up an unlikely affinity. A third spoke to their friendship is Arthur's next door neighbor Lucille, with whom Arthur has a budding romance. When Maddy becomes pregnant by an ex-boyfriend Arthur offers her room and board in exchange for some light housework. Maddy and her father agree to this arrangement and soon Lucille, who is also feeling lonely, moves in as well. The three of them form a makeshift family unit but after Maddy gives birth to her daughter, circumstances change. The characters created by Berg are completely appealing. This novel reads like the sweetest movie that will make your heart swell to three times its size.
Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg. This is a sequel to the above book but can be read as a stand-alone. The same characters are here: Maddy (now with toddler Nora) and the charming but feisty Lucille who now teaches baking classes in Mason, Missouri. But there are new characters in the picture. Lovable Tiny, a cab driver in Mason and waitress Monica (whom Tiny is in love with) make an excellent and moving substory. There is also Iris, who has moved to Mason from Boston to try and get over a divorce and Abby, who is dealing with an unfortunate diagnosis that not only affects her but her husband and ten-year-old son, too. These characters will stick with you, and you'll need to know their outcomes!
The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg. This is the third book in the series but again just like the above, it can be read as a stand-alone. I recently discovered there will be a fourth book in this collection coming out in March of 2023. Sign me up! This book again takes us back to fictional Mason. A group of friends decide to start a monthly supper club, but it soon turns into more. One of the members reveals something very intimate and the women decide to gather weekly. They end up sharing much more than dinner, laughing and wine: self-doubts, heartaches, and transgressions all bubble to the surface during these gatherings. Some characters from the last two books make their appearance: Maddy has now come home from New York city with a problem that's too big to handle on her own and joins the club. Also, Iris (whom readers meet in the second book) has met a man. She is intrigued by him, but he seems to be troubled and harboring secrets. The club is the perfect venue for these women to hash things out. In a setting that could become a bit too cliche done by another author, Berg hits just the right tone and sentimentality.
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg. This is a collection of short stories and obviously this post has a theme! Berg is one of those authors of whom I have read almost every one of her books! These stories are all about people who are letting go of something. People are often boxed in by the constructs of society and this collection explores what it would be like to shed those expectations. In the title story the protagonist takes a day to skip the rules of Weight Watchers to eat without assigning any points and experiences the freedom and weightlessness (ironic) because of it. Each of these stories has characters that are relatable and familiar. In my opinion that makes for the best kind of tale!
Comentarios