The Story of Arthur Truluv

A Novel

Elizabeth Berg

- 4.3 • 802 Ratings

- $12.99

- $12.99

“I dare you to read this novel and not fall in love with Arthur Truluv. His story will make you laugh and cry, and will show you a love that never ends, and what it means to be truly human.”—Fannie Flagg

An emotionally powerful novel about three people who each lose the one they love most, only to find second chances where they least expect them

“Fans of Meg Wolitzer, Emma Straub, or [Elizabeth] Berg’s previous novels will appreciate the richly complex characters and clear prose. Redemptive without being maudlin, this story of two misfits lucky to have found one another will tug at readers’ heartstrings.”—Booklist

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.

Wonderfully written and full of profound observations about life, The Story of Arthur Truluv is a beautiful and moving novel of compassion in the face of loss, of the small acts that turn friends into family, and of the possibilities to achieve happiness at any age.

Praise for The Story of Arthur Truluv

“For several days after [finishing The Story of Arthur Truluv], I felt lifted by it, and I found myself telling friends, also feeling overwhelmed by 2017, about the book. Read this, I said, it will offer some balance to all that has happened, and it is a welcome reminder we’re all neighbors here.”—Chicago Tribune

“Not since Paul Zindel’s classic The Pigman have we seen such a unique bond between people who might not look twice at each other in real life. This small, mighty novel offers proof that they should.”—People, Book of the Week

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

Sweet and sometimes sad, The Story of Arthur Truluv is full of charm. The novel centers around two people who form an unlikely friendship in a cemetery: a grief-stricken widower and a teenage girl who’s being viciously bullied. Elizabeth Berg has given her characters so much heart, you just want to give them a big hug. But she steers clear of treacly emotions by diving headfirst into the difficult stuff, exploring the heartache of loss, the sting of feeling like an outsider, and the nuances of loneliness. In the midst of all the harshness in our world, this book is a warm reminder of all the good around us.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY SEP 4, 2017

Arthur, the title character of the latest from Berg (Talk Before Sleep), does not enjoy living alone. Since his wife's death, the best part of his daily routine is visiting the cemetery to eat lunch at her grave. The only other constants in his life are taking care of his cat and keeping his distance from his nosy neighbor, Lucille. Then he meets Maddy, a troubled teen who is bullied at school and misunderstood by her father at home, and who has taken to hanging out at the cemetery to be by herself. The two form a bond, and when Maddy gets pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby, she seeks Arthur's help. Together with Lucille, who has recently faced her own tragic loss, the three form something like a family. Berg's novel is as comforting as Lucille's fresh-baked cookies, with plenty of charm and memorable characters. Readers will be taken by this story about how friendship can defy any generation gap and how it's never too late to find a new purpose in life.

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