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There are currently 47 member reviews
for The Story of Arthur Truluv
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Mary B. (Laguna Woods, CA)
Delightful read
A charming story of an older man who meets a high school girl at the cemetery where he visits his wife's grave for lunch every day. A bond develops between the man, the girl & his neighbor and they all help each other. Fans of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand would like this book.
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Annemarie J. (Buffalo, NY)
The Story of Arthur Truluv
Elizabeth Berg's novel is one of several books about unlikely partnerships between old and young and how caring is ageless. I enjoyed Billie Letts' WHERE THE HEART IS, Stephanie Kallos' BROKEN FOR YOU and Kent Haruf's PLAINSONG, but of all the characters who inhabit these books, it is Berg's Arthur I will remember most.
In his old age, Arthur still sees his glass as half full. Even while grieving for his wife Nola, he is able to find "sorrowful gifts", like being able to leave the toilet seat up or eating cookies in bed. He is a self-described "great appreciator" who considers himself lucky in life. Young Maddy finds her own luck when she heeds Mr. Rogers" TV advice to "look for the helpers" and finds one in Arthur.
This is a story about family. It's about love and loss and optimism. It's about Arthur, a really good man. You ought to meet him. A dose of his kind of sunshine will be good for you!
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Katherine D. (Rochester, NY)
Second chances, Harry Trulove
Given: one widowed cemetery-visiting man, Arthur, one cranky old lady, Lucille, and one angry, vulnerable goth teenager with nose-ring. In lesser hands this cast might lead to a rather predictable tale of the problems inherent in connecting several different generations, a recipe for a contrived melodrama.
Instead, this author never resorts to character cliches, and this reader found bits of herself scattered throughout this family-by-selection. By no means a "and they all lived happily after" tale, it is a story of the possibilities presented to each of us by taking the risk of second chances.
Although you may read it through in one sitting, you may well find yourself living with these people after you turn the last page.
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Robin M. (Newark, DE)
Truluv is True Love
I had no pre-formed ideas about this book, having not previously read anything by Elizabeth Berg, but I will seek out her other books because this one was excellent. I loved this bittersweet coming of age story about loneliness, intergenerational relationships and the power of love. The author developed her main characters well, created a thoughtful and interesting story and made me FEEL sadness, happiness, loss, joy and contentment.
I will be suggesting this to my book club in 2018. We're scheduled through the end of this year.
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Beth G. (Royal Oak, MI)
Truluv Family
I adore Elizabeth Berg and have read most of her novels. I was so happy to receive this ARC. Elizabeth Berg's stories are warm and hopeful. The Story of Arthur Truluv is no different. I felt throughout this experience as if I was part of Arthur, Maddy and Lucille's growth.
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CoventryReader
Another Winner
Elizabeth Berg has done it again! She has created another loveable character, Arthur Truluv. Having lost his wife a number of years ago, he continues to visit her grave daily. He brings a stool to sit on and proceeds to eat his lunch while he talks out loud to his deceased partner. It's such a sweet thing for him to do that it makes him an endearing character whom I grew to love. There is a subplot which also demonstrates his love and kindness. I have been reading Elizabeth Berg's novels for thirty years and she never fails to enthrall me with her unusual characters and their development. She makes them come alive on the page and reading her novels is such a pleasure.
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Betty T. (Warner Robins, GA)
Totally Delightful
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.
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