Night Of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg– 288 pages
Book Blurb:
Lucille Howard is getting on in years, but she stays busy. Thanks to the inspiration of her dearly departed friend Arthur Truluv, she has begun to teach baking classes, sharing the secrets to her delicious classic Southern yellow cake, the perfect pinwheel cookies, and other sweet essentials. Her classes have become so popular that she’s hired Iris, a new resident of Mason, Missouri, as an assistant. Iris doesn’t know how to bake but she needs to keep her mind off a big decision she sorely regrets.
When a new family moves in next door and tragedy strikes, Lucille begins to look out for Lincoln, their son. Lincoln’s parents aren’t the only ones in town facing hard choices and uncertain futures. In these difficult times, the residents of Mason come together and find the true power of community–just when they need it the most.
My Review: 4 stars
Night of Miracles came as a big surprise because I didn’t know it was the sequel to the beloved The Story of Arthur Truluv. I didn’t realize how much I missed these characters until they were back in my life. Berg wrote this so it can absolutely stand-alone.
What makes this book so damn touching are the character’s well-developed personalities. It makes the reader get to know them better and thus be part of their lives. The charm of small town life is epitomized in this book. It will make you yearn to take a baking class with Lorraine or have breakfast at the diner. Obviously all small towns do not have such kind do-gooders, as any reader will attest too, but it still worked beautifully in fiction.
There are some deeper moments that land on guilt, loss, hope and friendship. It’s a book that makes you look at the people in your life and make sure they treat you with kindness and respect and also reminds you to always be kind as well. It’s never a bad choice. If there’s a book three in this series, I hope the story of Monica and Tiny are the main stars. And in book four (pretty please Ms. Berg) I’d like to know what Maddy and Nola are up to.
Quotes I liked:
But you can’t custom-order people’s kindnesses. People do what they can, they give what they have.”
-“Lately, she draws comfort from watching the second hand go smoothly around and around. Isn’t it funny that she, so enamored of the past, is now consoled by seeing time move relentlessly forward?”
-“That is the gift of love, not only that you have somebody but that you are changed by somebody.”
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