The Story of Arthur Truluv

Arthur Trulove is 85 years old. He waters the flowers, pets the cat, and takes care of his wife’s grave. Maddy Harris is young and beautiful. She dreams of going to a college of arts, but she often skips classes and hides at the cemetery, away from the whole world. Fate will bring two lonely souls together, starting an extraordinary friendship. After all, sometimes it’s crucial that someone says: “Everything will be okay. I’m here.”

For fans of Fannie Flagg and Fredrik Backman. A warm, kind, bright novel that gives you those very feelings you expect from a big mug of cocoa with vanilla marshmallows. A runaway novel from a difficult time of big changes. This gentle, light story about love and friendship turned out not to be cloying—everything in it is perfectly calibrated. Berg creates vivid, living, real heroes who win you over from the very first pages. They may not be like you at all, but they feel so familiar and dear.

“Arthur Trulove’s Story” once again reminds us that life is beautiful and that every day holds something good. And there are also fateful encounters with people who will support you, give solid advice, treat you with orange cookies—or simply stay quiet by your side.

“I’ve always been seeing an image of an old man sitting on a small folding chair by his wife’s grave. I wanted to know: who was this person and what was his life like. I felt that he could teach me a lot—and I was right.” — Elizabeth Berg