Night of Miracles

Sequel (but also stand alone) to Arthur Trulov. I loved Arthur Trulov but this not so much. There were a lot of different characters and Berg tried to tie them all to Lucille Howard, an octogenarian cakemaker extraordinaire. I don't think it worked very well and I found it disjointed; however, I did enjoy the story of each of the individuals in the book. It was a perfect book to read on Thanksgiving.

I cried. And then I cried some more. She does it to me every time.

Very quick read, with all of the (admittedly few) edges remaining from its predecessor, [b:The Story of Arthur Truluv 32918898 The Story of Arthur Truluv (Mason, #1) Elizabeth Berg https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487140969l/32918898.SY75.jpg 53485117], sanded down. Maddy and Lucille are still important characters, but they're both happy and cheerful (even Lucille's tartness has been smothered by lots of sugar). So what's left is an ode to small town life in Mason Missouri, where everyone is nice and helpful (and white). A young couple tries to cope with the wife's cancer diagnosis. A divorced woman moves from the big city to Mason and finds meaning through new friends and work. A waitress and a cab driver like each other but neither can bring themselves to admit it. Not terribly original stories, but Berg's sharp writing elevates it a bit above your basic Hallmark Channel movie, although the snippets of wisdom she used to impart have largely been narrowed down to “live your life to the fullest” and “appreciate the small things in life.” None of the interpersonal dynamics are as compelling as Arthur and Maddy in book #1, but the relationship between one of the characters and the Angel of Death who may or may not be a dream is brilliant. TL;dr - Good but not great Elizabeth Berg. She's mellowed too much for my taste.