I love Elizabeth Berg and this book does not disappoint!
The story of gentleman that lost his wife, a pregnant teen that lost her mother and needs direction and a neighbor that is looking for a purpose. They all come together in an unconventional way and make the best of their situations.
Uplifting, encouraging and reminds us that there is good in people!

A wonderful read!

A high 4 stars! I so enjoyed reading The Story of Arthur Truluv. It's a short snapshot of what one hopes the world can be like for lonely people who find their way to each other. Arthur is an octogenarian who has lunch at his wife's grave every day. Maddie is an almost 18 year old lost soul who seeks refuge in the cemetery on many days instead of having lunch in her school cafeteria. Lucille is Arthur's neighbour, a retired teacher, a fanatical baker and lonely as hell. Through circumstance and personality, these three come together and form somewhat of a family. It's all a bit predictable, but Berg has created great characters -- I especially liked Arthur. And she keeps the story simple, with little melodrama but stirring up real emotions -- especially in the bond between Arthur and Maddie -- making me teary more than once. Quick, verging on sentimental but worthwhile and completely satisfying. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

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.

This was such an endearing book! It made me laugh, and cry. I know there will be many comparisons to A Man Called Ove, and others, but it's Elizabeth Berg who wrote this!!!! That alone says something. If you love her work, you will know that this story is near and dear to her heart. Ms. Berg is a peaceful, kind, caring person and that's reflected in her stories. This soon to be published book, is about an older widower, a brokenhearted neighbour and a teen that doesn't seem to fit in. It's never too late to open your home and heart to others with heartwarming results. It was a quick read (all in one sitting), it was predictable, it was sad, it was happy, but it was a book enhanced by beautiful writing and heart. It's nice to read these types of books on a snowy or rainy day with a good cup of tea or coffee and a lot of tissues.
Thank you to the publisher Random House and NetGalley who granted my wish to peruse this book before it was offered up for requests!

I started reading this and just could not get into the book. I will try again because if have read books by Elizabeth Berg before and enjoyed them. Sorry I could not give a better review but I will try again.

Reading this book felt like slipping underneath a warm blanket on a cold snowy night. It was so comforting, so heartwarming, and it just made me feel so wonderful while reading it. It's rare that I find a book that does this for me. All the characters were exceptionally memorable. This is a story that will live on in my heart for a very long time.

A heartwarming story about Arthur, a lonely widow. Maggie, an 17 year old girl. Lucille, a women who finds and loses her first love. They come together under unusual circumstances but form a friendship that transcends generations.

I felt like Arthur and Lucille could have been my grandparents. I could fell the pain and loneliness that he was going thru after he lost his wife.

What an interestingly quirky read. I loved the character and how he was able to communicate with those in the cemetery. A very unique book and quick read. Great for a day at the beach!

A warm and comforting book as three different individuals face loss, deal with grief, and find new friendships with each other.

Having read Elizabeth Berg's novels over the years I have found them to be a hit or miss for me. I was anticipating a different read but was happy with THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV. The three main characters, Arthur, Maddy and Lucille are enchanting each in their own quirky way.

As one who has always believed that being born into a family is not what makes you family, it is the sharing of the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly the form the bond of family. That is what this book is about to me and I laughed and cried with this trio of unlikely family members.

Quick read, uplifting and bittersweet. A book I will give to a friend who is family to accentuate our bond.

Thank you NetGalley - this book is wonderful.

It's impossible to not love Arthur. And the love he has for his wife is overwhelming.

Maggie is just what Arthur needs - and vice versa. Lucille just makes the family complete.

This was such a sweet story and shows that age has no limit on love and friendship - which is what all 3 need.

Every day, like clockwork, Arthur Moses goes and has lunch at his deceased wife's grave. He tells her everything that is happening and makes it a point to acquaint himself with all of her new "neighbors". At the cemetary he meets a young lady by the name of Maddy. Maddy is a senior in high school and is constantly bullied by her classmates. She goes to the cemetary on her lunch period to escape. Lucille is Arthur's next door neighbor. As they are both lonely and living alone, he stops by her house and they sit in the porch rockers and talk and eat whatever is the latest cookie that Louise has baked.
You don't get to pick the family you are born into, but you can make your own family. This unlikely trio becomes the best sort of family..... they all chose each other. This is definitely a must-read!

I just spent a delightful afternoon with Arthur, Maddy, and Lucille. This was a tender sweet book about finding community and caring for each other. What does it mean to be "useful" in a society that puts emphasis on financial success and productivity? This story helps us remember what's actually important and the need we have to nurture relationships. I loved and cared for each of the characters. Beautifully developed story of love and family.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy to review.

I really liked this book. It's such a great story, a meeting of the minds between an old man and a young girl.

Arthur has lunch with his wife every day....in a cemetery, at her grave. He meets Maddy there, where she's running away from high school and the boy she's got a crush on. Her parent's couldn't care less about her. They embark on a wildly improbable friendship and she ends up in Arthur's care. They are both saved by their friendship in different ways.

Elizabeth Berg's writing is so rich and meaningful that I was drawn into this book and couldn't get it out of my mind. She has meaningful insights into aging, friendships and how we are all tied together.

This book is a winner and is one of her best. It's a quick but powerful read.

This is one of the best books I have read this summer! I lived the characters and the way the story ended! Well done, Elizabeth Berg!

The Elizabeth Beth I loved in her early works (Range of Motion remains one of my all time favorites) is back! I devoured this delightful, well crafted novel in a day. Do not be dissuaded by the description which doesn't do this genuine novel justice. I fell in love with the characters from the first pages and was transported to their small caring world where family is defined by love not blood.
So many novels today rely on action and plot twists. It was so enjoyable to revel in a well turned phrase and a lovingly developed set of characters.

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Berg for as long as I can remember, having read all of her novels over the years. This one, this one. I loved every page of it and the last 20 pages had me wiping my eyes numerous times. Her writing is a gift, her words beautifully chosen and her characters warm and relatable. I will remember this one for a very long time. Thank you for the opportunity to read it early.

Short, sweet and deceptively simple novel about aging, love and family. Arthur and Maddie are a little too good to be true; Lucille steals the show. I have a 93 year old mother and I found this book to be a very heartening, encouraging view that even when your time is limited and you have lost the great love of your life, you can still find meaning and purpose.

THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg is a beautiful piece of fiction that will last in your heart long after the last page. In this short novel, Berg develops three big characters and shows that despite their age difference, the size of a person's heart isn't dependent on their years on earth. The love and compassion in this novel, the definition and devotion to family, the complications of fitting in, and the way all of them are brought together is engaging and lovely. Though I was granted an advanced copy of this novel by NetGalley, I will definitely buy my own copy when it's published and add it to my library of personal favorites.

THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV Written by ELIZABETH BERG

You can always count on Elizabeth Berg to give you a peaceful, gentle setting where life seems nostalgic and simpler. She has created a loveable character in eighty-five year old Arthur Moses. His daily routine brings him to visiting his wife Nola in the cemetery who has recently passed away. Arthur brings his lunch and comes equipped with his fold up chair. He is eighty-five years old and has never had children, but has a positive outlook about them. He has Nola's cat at home to keep him company and a neighbor named Lucille who he checks in on who is eighty-three.

Arthur befriends a troubled teen-ager named Maddy who instead of going to school spends her time in the same cemetery as Arthur. Maddy's mother has also passed away when Maddy was just a baby and she lives with her father, who she has a strained relationship with. Arthur befriends Maddy by inviting her back to his home for lunch on a rainy day.

The three character's interact and prove that you can find companionship in the goodness of other's. Arthur continues to visit Nola and has a habit of imagining a whole lifetime for each deceased person's grave marker he encounters based on what is engraved on their tombstone. This is a lovely story about the friendship's we make despite our life's circumstances. Elizabeth Berg has a talent for bringing together relationships made with the opportunities and circumstances that we all possess as individuals. We can find family if we remain open minded and are accepting of each other.

Thank you to Net Galley, Elizabeth Berg and Random House for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.