The Year of Pleasures

Over the past few years, there have been some standouts dealing with women rediscovering themselves. Lolly Winston's "Good Grief" comes immediately to mind, as does Sue Monk Kidd's "The Mermaid Chair." Going back a bit further, Berg's own "Pull of the Moon" is a classic in its descriptive realism --......more

This was sort of a wimpy novel. Not bad. Not that good. I didn't hate it. It's a hallmark card of a book. Newly single woman makes a life for herself kind of a book. Not much tension. Not much deep insight. Just sort of blah, but a sweet blah. Twinkies are a sweet blah. So is "The Year of Pleasures.......more

Pathos. Elizabeth Berg had me crying along with her main character by page 21. She is one of my favorite authors, and I know I can count on her when I want a story that connects on a deep level. Betta has lost her husband. As her neighbor says, “you were sort of complete unto yourselves.“ Betta deci......more

When I read a novel, I want to gain some tidbit about how to live, and especially in the second half of life. The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg is about a recently widowed 55-year-old woman, and there’s so much wisdom in the story. Here’s one: about halfway through, one of the characters tells......more

Betta is a 50 something woman who has just lost her husband and longs to get out of Boston where reminders of him surround her. So begins her renewing journey of discovery as she moves to a small town and goes about reinventing the second half of her life. A short sweet book by Elizabeth Berg whose......more