What readers think of The Story of Arthur Truluv, plus links to write your own review.

Oh, this is a wonderful, wonderful book! This is a 10-star book in a five-star world.

Written in a similar style as "The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper" and (to some extent) "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine," this heartwarming—but not sappy!—book by Elizabeth Berg is honey for the soul. It's a feel-good, but realistic, story. And considering the sometimes dark and scary real world in which we now live, we need more novels like this. (Good news! There is a sequel.)

Arthur Moses is 85 and recently widowed. He lives alone in his house with his cat, Gordon. He has a lunch date every day with his deceased wife, Nola. With a bagged lunch and folding chair, Arthur takes the bus every day to the cemetery where he and Nola have a nice chat while he munches on his sandwich. One day, Arthur notices a teenage girl sitting against a nearby tree. Maddy is lonely. Not only did her mother die when Maddy was two weeks old, but also her father barely acknowledges her existence. And worst of all, she is bullied at school. While it doesn't happen immediately, Arthur and Maddy strike up an unusual friendship—one that saves them both. And then there is his neighbor, Lucille, an elderly widow who experiences her own rejuvenation when her high school boyfriend shows up in her life and changes everything—almost.

This is truly an enchanting book with rich and diverse characters who show us the possibilities for love, laughter and joy. Read it to feel good!

I enjoyed reading this book. It is an easy fast read. Not too long and deep. Very thought provoking.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.