Reviews for Life: a love story : a novel
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Can an old rubber band have significance? Florence (Flo) Greene has just learned she only has weeks to live. At 92, this isn’t a shock, but she decides to write to Ruthie, who grew up next door, and to whom Flo is leaving her house. In her letter, Flo explains the significance of objects in the house, sharing anecdotes about her life with her devoted husband, Terrence, and encouraging Ruthie to persevere through challenging times in her own marriage. The conversational letter brims with nostalgic diversions and heartfelt advice along with hints of a dark secret she’s finally ready to divulge. Readers also follow Flo’s final days as she tries new activities and interacts with old and new friends, including “death doula” Teresa, whose cat Flo rescues. Flo acknowledges her marriage wasn’t perfect, but her love for Terrence shines throughout her walk down memory lane, inspiring readers to laughter and tears alike (yes on the rubber band question). Berg (Earth’s the Right Place for Love, 2023) brilliantly injects profound thoughts on finding beauty amid life’s difficulties through the wise words of unforgettable Flo. Life resonates with relatable characters, consequential little things, and the power of forgiveness. Fans of Anne Tyler and Sue Monk Kidd will appreciate Flo’s evocative story.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The prolific Berg has a huge following, and this is the author at her heartwarming best.
Publishers Weekly
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Bestseller Berg (Earth’s the Right Place for Love) serves up a deceptively simple story with hidden depths. Flo Greene, 92 and widowed with no children, has been given a four-to-six-week prognosis for her terminal cancer. She writes a long letter to her close friend Ruthie, a young woman who grew up next door and was like a daughter to her. Ruthie is married with children but is considering divorce, and Flo announces her intention to leave her modest house to Ruthie. As the letter unfolds over the length of the novel, alternating with sections of third-person narration, Flo reminisces about Ruthie’s childhood and adolescence and pointedly chronicles her own ups and downs with her late husband. Meanwhile, when Flo is not writing her letter, she befriends neighbor Teresa McNair, a death doula who helps people cope with the end of their lives. Flo, saddened by Teresa’s resignation to singlehood at 51, helps her navigate online dating. Berg exhibits great range in her portrayal of the folksy Flo, whose sweetness is far from saccharine; she believes in being honest and forthright, as when she steers Teresa away from talk of a miraculous recovery from her cancer, thinking after all she’s 92, and “her doctor is not a dope.” Readers will be charmed by this heartening tale. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME. (Mar.)
