The Story Of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg is a sentimental, gentle read, reminiscent in some ways of A Man Called Ove. The title character is an older man who has recently been widowed and he makes a vow to visit his wife, Nola’s grave every day.  It’s at the cemetery that he meets a troubled seventeen year-old, Maddy, offering her some cookies baked by his retired neighbor, Louise.

Arthur, Maddy and Louise each suffer a loss and their coping mechanisms (or lack thereof), as well as the affection they gradually develop for each other is the heart of this book. Berg is an excellent writer and she deftly explores themes of loneliness, kindness and friendship across generations as, over time, these three characters form a caring family of sorts. 

AUTHOR APPEARANCE:  For those who are interested, Elizabeth Berg will be at the Highland Park Library on Monday, December 4th at 7:00pm. 

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

SEVEN DAYS OF US by Francesca Hornak is an entertaining holiday story about family relationships. Oldest daughter, Olivia Birch, has just returned from fighting an epidemic in Africa and has to be quarantined for a week around Christmas. Her family, Dad named Andrew, Mom called Emma, and sister Phoebe (who is engaged to marry George) step up to the challenge of spending time together at their country home, Weyfield Hall. BUT secrets abound. One member has a serious disease and a potentially compromised immune system, yet another has an illegitimate child and more than one character is affected by a secret romance. There are plenty of misunderstandings, substantial sibling rivalry, and regrets for chances missed, as described by the multiple narrators.    

Even though there are some sad moments, this book offers a quick read that will make you laugh and maybe even cringe (in a good way) at the coincidences that occur over the seven days of quarantine.  At some points, it even felt a bit like the author was channeling the ridiculously funny play, Noises Off.  You will likely see your own family and holiday traditions in a new light. SEVEN DAYS OF US was an Indie Next and Library Reads pick as well as receiving starred reviews from Booklist (“a farcical gem”) and Library Journal. Enjoy!

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD by Attica Locke is a mystery and police procedural of sorts, hopefully the first in a series to feature Texas Ranger, Darren Mathews. The setting is so well-drawn as to almost be a character itself -- a one stoplight town, named Lark, in East Texas where a black man (lawyer from Chicago) and a local white woman are found murdered within days of each other. Racial tensions reminiscent of Jim Crow days permeate this well-written novel from an award winning author. Locke’s other works include Pleasantville, winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction; The Cutting Season which won the Ernest Gaines Award; and the Edgar-nominated Black Water Rising.

Temporarily on suspension for helping a family friend, Ranger Mathews heads to Lark to investigate what appear to be racially motivated deaths. He encounters several memorable characters like the spouses, named Randie Winston and Keith Dale, of the murder victims or Wally Jefferson, the well-off proprietor of a white supremacist bar, or Geneva Sweet who runs a café catering to black clientele.  It’s a suspenseful and very complicated situation for Mathews who garners little support from local law enforcement or from his own estranged family.    

One of the most apt descriptions I’ve heard comes from Walter Mosley who says that “BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD reads like a blues song to East Texas.” BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD received starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal. Consider pairing this highly recommended mystery story with National Book Award nominee A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton or the winner, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.