Review of Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg

About the Book

ISBN-13:9780593446829

Publisher:Random House Publishing Group

Publication date:03/17/2026

Pages:208

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble)

As ninety-two-year-old Florence “Flo” Greene nears the end of her life, she writes a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her, describing the items Flo is leaving Ruthie in her will. But as it goes on, telling surprising stories about those “little” things Flo will leave behind (What could possibly be the worth of a rubber band kept in a matchbox tied up in red ribbon?), an unforgettable portrait of the life she has lived emerges.

The letter starts off as an autobiography in things, but it turns out to do much more than that: ultimately, it will transform Flo and those around her. In the time she has left, Flo decides to take herself up on tiny dares. She encourages Ruthie to reconsider her impending divorce by sharing a startling, long-buried secret about her own perfect-seeming marriage. Flo has never had a pedicure before now, and as long as she’s going to a beauty parlor, she arranges to have a blue streak put in her hair, too. And as these adventures lead her to make new friends, Flo helps them, too, find the fulfillment that living a full life has led her to understand.

Full of Elizabeth Berg’s characteristic mix of warmth, humor, and poignancy, Life: A Love Story is a reminder that whatever your circumstances, as long as you’re alive, you can keep on investing in life. The joy will inevitably follow.

My Thoughts

This lovely and relatable story just flowed right from the page into my heart. It is the story of Flo, a nonagenarian who knows she is dying and is dedicated to making the world around her better up to her last breath. It is the story of an ordinary life lived in an extraordinary way, told in first person with Flo relating her actions and reactions. She also writes letters to Ruthie, a younger woman who was a neighbor as a child and whom Flo loves dearly so Flo is explaining to her in the letters what certain things in her house meant to her. I thought at first when I read the synopsis of the book that it would be a maudlin look at dying, but that is not the case at all. The author presents death as another chapter in life, something to embrace as inevitable but also to prepare for in the best way possible. This was a five plus star read for me as I was completely wrapped up in Flo’s story, her tales about her past and a mystery about her husband Terrance that she refers to repeatedly. The story is moderately paced, which I think is perfect for a book that deals with the sensitive topic of dying in such an uplifting and realistic way. Flo’s life was not perfect, with lots of false starts and stops and some errors along the way. The thoughts she leaves behind show us clearly that she enjoyed her life and wants others to find joy for themselves too. The theme seems to be that life passes all too quickly, but it is also one of looking around and finding out who needs your encouragement and then go out and be the one to make a difference.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

**Elizabeth Berg** is the author of eighteen novels and has more than 1.5 million books in print. Her novel, OPEN HOUSE, was an Oprah’s Book Club selection in 2000. Berg lives near Chicago, Illinois. Visit her at www.elizabeth-berg.net

Elizabeth Berg has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Bookseller’s Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. Her book The Art of Mending was a choice for South Dakota’s “One Book.”

She was made a “literary light” by the Boston Public Library, has been honored by the Chicago Public Library, and was given the AMC Cancer Research Center’s Illuminator Award for shedding light on breast cancer resulting in increased public awareness and concern. She adapted her novel The Pull of the Moon into a play which has been performed in Chicago and Indianapolis to sold-out audiences.

Her article on a cooking school in Positano, Italy, which appeared in National Geographic Traveler magazine, won a NATJA award (North American Travel Journalists Association) and was nominated for a Lowell Thomas award. She has been published in thirty-two countries. In 2018, she was awarded the State of Illinois Literary Heritage Award for her “extraordinary contributions to our literary culture.”

In 2018, she was awarded the State of Illinois Literary Heritage Award for her “extraordinary contributions to our literary culture.”