The Story of Arthur Truluv is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Berg that revolves around the stories of three unlikely companions: Arthur Moses, an elderly widower who finds solace in visiting his wife’s grave, Maddy Harris, a troubled teenager who feels out of place in her own life, and Lucille Howard, Arthur’s elderly neighbor grappling with her own loneliness. The novel is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view. These three unlikely friends form a bond that transforms their lives as the novel explores The Transformative Power of Companionship and Chosen Families, Coping with Grief and Finding New Beginnings, and The Experiences and Emotions of Aging.

This guide refers to the 2018 Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Edition. 

Content Warning: This guide and its source material briefly describe an attempted death by suicide.

Plot Summary

The Story of Arthur Truluv takes place in a small Missouri town in 2016. The novel follows Arthur Moses, who earns the nickname Truluv from a troubled teen, Maddy Harris. The two meet in the cemetery they both visit regularly; the first time, when Arthur first waves to Maddy, she doesn’t return the gesture. The next time he sees her, she decides to approach Arthur, and they form a quick bond over their shared interest in the graves of the dead and the stories of the departed souls there. Arthur is there daily, bringing a folding chair and packed lunch to visit the gravesite of his late wife, Nola, and talk to her about his day. Maddy is there during the school day, taking pictures and reflecting. Dealing with her own grief after her mother’s death when she was just two weeks old, Maddy finds the cemetery as comforting and peaceful as Arthur does. Arthur and his wife Nola shared a loving and happy marriage for many decades, and visiting her each day is his way of staying close to her. Maddy is a bright student and talented photographer. However, constant bullying and harassment at school and a tense relationship with her father at home cause her to retreat to the sanctuary of the cemetery as often as she can.

Maddy’s boyfriend, Anderson, works at Walmart. One night, after Maddy sneaks out to meet Anderson, he breaks up with her because he met someone else. Devasted, Maddy runs from his car and into the woods. There, she sees a doe staring intensely back at her. In moments like this, she often feels her mother’s comforting presence, which helps give her hope and feel less alone. Later, Arthur invites Maddy over to his house for lunch, and she likes learning about all the items of his household; he sees that she needs some care and attention, even though she doesn’t say so.

The opening pages also introduce Lucille Howard, Arthur’s next-door neighbor, who often invites him over to her porch to share her baked goods and conversation. While Arthur doesn’t want to be rude, one night he must abruptly leave due to an upset stomach. He’s too embarrassed to tell Lucille the reason he is leaving. He can sense she is offended by his quick departure without explanation, but he plans to make things right with her later. Lucille reconnects with her high school sweetheart, Frank Pearson, a recent widower who lives in San Diego now and is visiting his daughter back in Missouri. Frank chose to marry a woman named Sue instead of Lucille, and she feels this is their second chance at love. She is often out in the evenings on dates with Frank, and after a short while, they get engaged.

Maddy’s father, Steven, struggles to be a loving and attentive parent to her, and she often feels like a burden to him and a constant reminder of what he lost. On Maddy’s 18th birthday, she realizes she is pregnant. When she calls Anderson to tell him, he questions how the baby could be his. He tells her that she’s “crazy” and that he wants nothing to do with the situation.

Maddy decides she wants to keep the baby. Her father doesn’t respond well to the news, and Maddy runs away from home and goes to stay with her English teacher, Mr. Lyons, and his wife. She starts meeting with a social worker. Arthur doesn’t see her at the cemetery for several days. When they reunite, Maddy shares her news. With Mr. Lyon’s help, she applied to an art school for college, which she would begin the spring after the baby is born. They have dorms and services for single mothers. Maddy asks Arthur if she can be his housekeeper in exchange for room and board, and he accepts, though he insists on paying her a salary.

Meanwhile, Lucille is dealing with a crisis as Frank suffers a heart attack and is rushed to the ER, where he dies. Arthur comforts Lucille and offers to have Maddy help her with housekeeping. He encourages her to find a hobby to pass her time, such as offering cooking classes since she is such a talented baker. Arthur and Maddy settle into a comfortable routine; she cooks and keeps the house neat, and he prepared a nice upstairs room for her in a sunny shade of yellow where she can have her privacy and prepare for motherhood. From her home, Lucille watches Arthur’s house and wonders if she would be better off living with them; she soon moves in and starts conducting her cooking classes there. The three of them begin to operate as a family; they watch old movies together and share meals, and while Maddy and Arthur’s bond has always been strong, she becomes fond of Lucille soon, too, who knits blankets and clothes for the baby. Lucille and Maddy worry about Arthur, who faithfully visits Nola’s grave each afternoon but who seems to be growing weaker and thinner by the day. The three share Thanksgiving together and even invite Steven over, which marks an evolution in his relationship with Maddy; she sees this progress as a step toward resolution.

As his health declines, Arthur visits Nola’s grave for a final time, telling her that he hopes she’s waiting for him. In mid-December, Maddy gives birth to a girl, who she names Nola, after Arthur’s late wife. Arthur is too weak and sick to get out of bed then, but Maddy brings Nola to his bedside. In the falling action of the novel, the narration skips forward almost two years, when Maddy brings her daughter to the cemetery to visit Arthur and Nola’s graves. Arthur left the house to Maddy, and she still lives there with Lucille, who calls herself a self-appointed grandmother. The novel closes with Maddy and Nola walking hand-in-hand out of the cemetery and back home.