Sometimes you simply need a lift. With war, rising gas prices, and what seems to be an unending winter, many of us are looking for a hopefilled tale. Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg, out today, is that novel. It’s sweet and tender and just what we need when it feels like the world no longer values kindness. Flo, a 92-year-old widow with terminal cancer, has from four to six weeks to live when she begins penning a long letter to Ruthie, the woman who feels like a daughter to her.
Flo is leaving her house and its contents to Ruthie and in her letter she describes many of the objects in her home and why they matter to her. They form an intriguing and intricate autobiography of Flo through the items she cherishes. Reading about them made me stop to look at several things in my home that I love and to ponder why they bring back fond memories.
“Ruthie, in the drawer below the makeup is a jewelry box, and the best thing in there is my pearls. I don’t care what you wear those pearls with, they make everything look good. Terrence gave me those pearls one Christmas and I looked up at him, and at first I couldn’t even speak. But then I said, Terrence, I am going to wear these tonight and then we’re taking them back, there is no way we can afford them. And he said, I know we can’t. And that’s why I got them for you. If we were rich, what pleasure would there be in my giving you such a thing? You wear them, they’re to help you remember what you’re worth.”
Flo also enters into a friendship with her neighbor Teresa, a 51-year-old death doula who thinks she’ll never find love. They share wisdom and buoy each other as Berg makes us feel grateful for having known them. The joy in Elizabeth Berg’s novels is that she always makes us feel a part of the story and the community involved. In Life: A Love Story, we live in Flo and Teresa’s neighborhood and we see the cycle of life and death unfold in its simplicity.
We see Flo live the life she has instead of lamenting on or frittering away her remaining days. She attempts “tiny dares,” things she’s never done like getting her first pedicure and shows us how being open to new experiences enhances life. Thus, Life: A Love Story is truly a love story to finding our best lives gratefully and fully.
Summing it Up: Read Life: A Love Story to enter the lives of women who will help you appreciate your own wild, precious, and mundane life. This novel will soothe what ails you while offering Berg’s characteristic chuckles along the way.
Rating: 5 Stars
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Categories: Grandma’s Pot Roast, Soul Food, Book Club
Author Website: https://www.elizabeth-berg.net/books/life-a-love-story/
An Interview with the Author: https://caitlinmccoll.substack.com/p/life-a-love-story-an-interview-with
What Others Are Saying:
“This gentle story of appreciation for the people and things that make up life will renew your spirit.”
—- Opah Dailey
“Lovely” —AARP
“Berg brilliantly injects profound thoughts on finding beauty amid life’s difficulties through the wise words of unforgettable Flo. Life resonates with relatable character, consequential little things, and the power of forgiveness. Fans of Anne Tyler and Sue Monk Kidd will appreciate Flo’s evocative story. The prolific Berg has a huge following, and this is the author at her heart warming best. . . Inspiring readers to laughter and tears alike” —Booklist (Starred Review)
“Bestseller Berg serves up a deceptively simple story with hidden depths [and] exhibits great range I. Her portrayal of the folksy Flo . . . . Readers will be charmed by this heartening tale.” —Publishers Weekly
If you’re in the Midwest, Berg is making several appearances in the area in the coming weeks. Find them at https://www.elizabeth-berg.net/appearances/
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