'The gift Elizabeth Letts has is that she makes you feel you are the one taking this trip. This is an IndieBound affiliate link for purchasing this book.NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The triumphant true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Horse and The Eighty-Dollar Champion These three characters stay with you long after the last page, and I can't wait to start The Night of Miracles in a week or two. I love stories about characters who create their own families in spite of previous hurts, disappointments, and tragic events. It made me think about the lonely people in our community, and how each Sunday we pray for the lonely in church. Maddy is not happy with the situation at first because Lucille is definitely an acquired taste, but soon Maddy realizes that Lucille is a valuable advocate. Everyone needs a Lucille in her life because she's that awesome! Lucille experiences a tragedy during the course of the novel, but Arthur helps her through it, and then she moves across the street to live with Arthur and Maddy. Lucille is Arthur's neighbor and busybody. Arthur takes Maddy into his home when she needs the support and guidance of an adult most. Maddy's backstory is so pitiful: Her mother died during childbirth, and her father has never stopped grieving. Their friendship brings out the best in each other, and it opens their eyes to other opportunities. I love how Arthur immediately takes a liking to Maddy and vice-versa, especially since they meet in a cemetery under unusual circumstances. This is definitely a character-driven novel, although the plot is also very entertaining. With Arthur’s nosy neighbor Lucille, they create a loving and unconventional family, proving that life’s most precious moments are sweeter when shared.

Maddy gives Arthur the name Truluv, for his loving and positive responses to every outrageous thing she says or does. The two strike up a friendship that draws them out of isolation. Arthur, a widow, meets Maddy, a troubled teenage girl who is avoiding school by hiding out at the cemetery, where Arthur goes every day for lunch to have imaginary conversations with his late wife, and think about the lives of others. I have reread The Year of Pleasures several times!Ī moving novel about three people who find their way back from loss and loneliness to a different kind of happiness.

The true story of arthur truluv