Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg
I love Elizabeth Berg, so when I was given the opportunity to read her upcoming book a little early, I was very excited. It did not disappoint. This story is narrated by Florence 'Flo' Greene, a ninety-two-year-old widow who is nearing the end of her life. She and her late husband didn't have children of their own, but they were very close to a child who lived next door, Ruthie, and Ruthie spent a lot of time at their house growing up. Flo plans to leave the house and its contents to Ruthie and decides to write her a letter explaining some of the contents of the house that are special to her and why. She also worries that Ruthie, who she senses has been going through a difficult time in her marriage, might give up too easily, and so she shares some of the marital issues that she's dealt with and how working through them was part of the normal work involved in a marriage, and would bring the two partners closer.
The story is told partly through the long letter that Flo writes, over the course of weeks, and partly through Flo's life now as it is happening.
Flo enjoys visits from her neighbour's aging dog, having loved him since he was a puppy. She sees the people on her street going off to school and work, and greets them from her front porch and on her walks. She notices a woman across the street and begins an ongoing conversation with her that leads to friendship, reminding us again that we can be friends with people of all ages. She goes to the library, and she becomes closer to a woman of her own generation that she always admired.
Flo has loved her home, her garden, her neighbourhood, and believes in kindness and community. She has a secret or two of her own that she feels moved to share with the right person or people when it seems like the right time.
Flo is a voice that reminds us that we are not alone in this world, that love comes in many forms, and that noticing the people around us and what they would appreciate is one of the most important and kind things that we can do.
Highly recommended.
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