The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
Read August 2022 - Zoom Reading Circle
I loved this book! I seem to be enjoying books with older protagonists lately (The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, The Music of Bees, The Thursday Murder Club...) This was a lovely story about a man in his 80's who has recently lost his wife. Every day he makes his lunch, climbs on a city bus and goes to the cemetery to visit her. He also interacts with her 'neighbors' in the cemetery - stopping by various headstones and imagining their lives based on the information carved on them. I can relate to that, actually. There is something about the stories represented in a cemetery that makes me want to know more. There is a line near the end of the book that I thought was powerful.
"She stands and looks out over the acres of land. All the lives. All the whispering she hears! It really is true that cemeteries are busy places. I lived! I lived! I lived!"
Arthur's life is pretty simple until he meets a troubled young lady teenager named Maddy. When Maddy becomes pregnant she turns to Arthur for help. Together with Arthur's neighbor, Lucille, they create their own family of support and encouragement. They all discover how much they really need one another - and how family can be chosen.
This wasn't a book with a climax or a twist of any kind. This book was a journey... a journey with a dear friend. I grew to love Arthur, Maddy and Lucille. Yes, there are things in this book that are a bit too cliche, but sometimes that is exactly what you need to read. This was a wonderful feel-good book.
I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars. Zoom Reading Circle rated it 4.4 stars.
There were so many poignant lines in this book that I loved....
“Arthur realizes that if he were alone, it would be a grim wait. With the girl, it is an adventure. That’s what being with another does. He remembers how with something like a full-body flush, he remembers what it means to share something with someone, the particular alchemy that can light things up.”
“Arthur thinks that, above all, aging means the abandonment of criticism and the taking on of compassionate acceptance. He sees that as a good trade.”
“She herself is only eighty-three, only four years out of her seventies: think of all she can do!”
“People who don’t feel cared for are not always comfortable being cared for.”
“Oh Arthur, no one even sees you when you get old except for people who knew you when you were young.”
“Here’s what she knows: He’ll forgive her.”
“The recipe may say add six egg whites, but what Lucille always thinks about any instruction in any recipe is: We’ll see about that.”
