The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

 "Arthur thinks that, above all, aging means the abandonment of criticism and the taking on of compassionate acceptance. He sees that as a good trade."

So writes Elizabeth Berg in her early description of the main character of her 2017 novel.  And wouldn't it be wonderful if more octogenarians like Arthur had this philosophy?  Actually, it would be wonderful for me to have this goal in my daily routine.

A recent widower, Arthur spends his days riding the bus to visit his lovely wife Nola for lunch at her gravesite, then gets home in time to nap and talk to his cat, Gordon.  Upon waking the next morning, this pattern repeats itself, as it has for the past six months.  The cemetery serves as an outlet for his imagination as he reads headstones and creates storylines for Nola's "neighbors".  And it is there that Maddy enters his life.  Seventeen and despondently sad, Arthur sees past the nose ring and slight chip on her shoulder, to her inner beauty.  Arthur kindly engages her in conversation.  Consumed with her own difficulties as the brunt of bullying in her high school, Maddy questions the purity of Arthur's motives.  As the beautiful and peaceful cemetery becomes a daily refuge for Maddy, she begins to open up to Arthur's overtures.  She visits his home, she meets his also-elderly neighbor, Lucille, and she begins to not miss her mother as much; while these welcoming Seniors take a more than curious interest in her life....and give her the unconditional love that she has desperately craved for so very long.

In the middle of a global pandemic, a hateful political climate and a world where unkindness prevails; this read was a breath of fresh air.  I wanted to hug Arthur for his non-judgmental attitude and for his courage in making huge adjustments in his life to accommodate others.  He opens his home to both Lucille and Maddy.  He gently suggests that Lucille volunteer her time to teach baking classes...which fills her need to be needed.  He bargains with Maddy to pay for her time in cleaning his home in exchange for room and board...which validates her need to give back.  Maddy blossoms under the support of a teacher who reaches out, and the exceptional care of Arthur and Lucille.  This trio living in the same household become a different kind of family: not traditional, but a family nonetheless.

Unselfishness, kindness, inter-generational acceptance, loneliness, loss...these are all themes that Elizabeth Berg includes in this sentimental read.  Although the ending is expected, it still left me wiping tears from my cheeks...and rooting for all of the kindhearted "Arthurs" out there, looking for opportunities to make a difference, one person at a time. 

Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado

 This was a perfect book for the craziness of our world right now.  Having faced anxiety over Covid, over health issues, over cancellations of three family trips...I was ready to fall apart.  Thankfully the prayers of friends, exercise, different supplements, acupuncture, wise counsel ...and this book...brought me such relief.  Lucado brings such great illustrations to his writing, and his breakdown of Philippians 4:4-8 makes such good sense.  Making the choice to have joy in the daily grind of life then leads to gratefulness, which leads to specific prayer.  If my thoughts are still anxious, verse 8 reminds me to change the channel on my mind and think on things that are kind, pure, good, commendable, true.

His clever acrostic for anxiety, using the above verses, is CALM: 

• Celebrate God’s goodness
• Ask God for help
• Leave your concerns with God
• Meditate on good things

Because Bill and I were also listening to a favorite pastor on this topic, we got a double dose of peace and Holy Spirit power--a wonderful way to spend our January/February days.

The One in A Million Boy by Monica Wood

 Who has never made a serious mistake that they have regretted for much of their life?  This lovely read by Monica Woods brings us several characters who are living with just such regrets.

Ona Vitkus at age 104 years, lives independently in her cozy little home, but realizes that she needs a bit of help in maintaining the outside tasks.  The kind scoutmaster in town, with a community program for his scouts, drops off a young boy to assist Ona.  A One in a Million Boy.  A quiet boy. A boy who makes lists and relentlessly counts.  A responsible boy who finishes his weekly tasks. A boy who is wise beyond his years.  A boy who recognizes Ona's loneliness and determines to give her purpose.  A boy who records Ona's long history and uncovers secrets and shame.  A boy whom Ona begins to love as they develop an unusual friendship.

Quinn Porter, the boy's much absent musician father, steps in to assist Ona with her yard chores.  Ona doesn't understand why.  At first she believes she was mistaken about this sweet boy..did he decide to shirk his duties?  Did he become enamored of another task to pursue?  Did their friendship not mean as much to him as it did to her?  When Ona reads the obituary in the local paper, her questions stop...and a new friendship with Quinn begins.  he works tirelessly in repairing Ona's home; beautifying flowerbeds, cutting tree limbs, fixing the broken porch, replacing lightbulbs.  He works to complete the boy's agreement contract with Ona.  He works to assuage his guilt over spending more time on the road than in his home.                                  Belle Cosgrove, the boy's distraught and grieving mother, also enters into a relationship with Ona because Quinn suggests that in entering Ona's home he senses the boy's presence...and oh how Belle needs to feel that.  Unlike Quinn's rocky start with Ona (he had to get past her prickly exterior), Belle and Ona bond more quickly, their commonalities as women and mothers who had each lost a son being foundational to this fledging friendship.

This trio of characters embarks on a journey together.  This journey involves a road trip to re-unite Ona with her son, but more importantly this journey of friendship begins to heal the broken places in each of their hearts.  Belle, brokenhearted over her only son's death; Ona, brokenhearted over the lost years of a damaged friendship; and Quinn, brokenhearted over the loss of his marriage, his career dreams and the truthful reality that he was not a good father.

Wood weaves a story rich with quirky, imperfect people who learn how to lean into each other.  Though they might not acknowledge or understand it, each bridges their individual loneliness to serve the other, to accept the other, to put the others' needs ahead of their own. It's a story of redemptions.

The final chapter backtracks to the boy's final morning, riding his bike in the pre-dawn to put the finishing touches on Ona's memoirs...the sounds of hundreds of birds breaking forth in song.  The selfless heart of the One in a Million Boy wanted to fulfill this important Ode to Ona.