‘The Story of Arthur Truluv’ by Elizabeth Berg (Mason # 1)

If you liked A Man Called Ove, you’ll love this one. And it’s not derivative or completely similar. Elizabeth Berg has always been a favourite author of mine over the years, because her books are charming and personal without being sentimental or cliché. This is her latest.

Arthur brings his lunch and a small folding chair each day to the cemetery where he has lunch with his wife Nola. He finds comfort in this ritual and seems to be dealing well with his grief. I love this line in the book, “…it took a long time for him to shift things around so that he could still love and honor Nola but also love and honor life.” More immediately open and curious than Ove, Arthur enjoys visiting other graves as well, imagining details about the people who have passed on and what their lives might have been like. One day he meets Maddy, a troubled teen who is avoiding school by hiding in the same cemetery. Though the story plays out fairly predictably at this point, I still enjoyed the ride which was comfortable and entertaining.