DESCRIPTION:
Florence “Flo” Greene is nearing the end of her life, and she decides to leave her house and an account of her life for Ruthie, the younger woman who grew up next door, moved away, and still is like a surrogate daughter. As Flo writes to Ruthie about the meaning of beloved things in her home and about events in her past, she also tries new adventures of her own. She intervenes in the lives of friends in her neighborhood.
Flo's project has been to encourage Teresa, a wise but unconfident woman, to open her heart to romance. Flo goes to the library to get advice from Mimi, a librarian. She encourages Ruthie, who is contemplating divorce, to try again with her husband, by sharing a startling secret long buried about Flo’s own seemingly perfect husband and marriage.
In her final weeks, Flo leaves an indelible mark on others, as this moving novel celebrates life, change, and ways to discover new happiness, friendship, and love.
What a sweet story of an unexpected friendship. Flo Greene knows that she is dying, so she sets out to leave behind a meaningful legacy. It begins simply, with a letter to a woman named Ruthie who once lived next door, but that small act soon ripples outward. Through her words, Flo becomes a quiet yet powerful source of inspiration to a woman named Teresa.
The story feels like a chain of connected moments, each one leading naturally to the next. Flo’s desire to help Ruthie navigate her difficult marriage is just one example of how she reaches beyond herself. Her influence doesn’t stop there It also touches another woman named Teresa as well, shaping the choices she may one day face. Through these connections, Flo’s vulnerability shines through in such a genuine way, making her presence all the more impactful.
In the end, this is a gentle, heartfelt story about the ways we leave pieces of ourselves behind in others. Elizabeth Berg captures the beauty of small gestures and quiet courage, reminding us that even in life’s final chapter, there is still so much opportunity to love, to guide, and to make a difference.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
She was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and lived in Boston prior to her residence in Chicago. She studied English and Humanities at the University of Minnesota, but later ended up with a nursing degree. Her writing career started when she won an essay contest in Parents magazine. Since her debut novel in 1993, her novels have sold in large numbers and have received several awards and nominations, although some critics have tagged them as sentimental. She won the New England Book Awards in 1997.
The novels Durable Goods, Joy School, and True to Form form a trilogy about the 12-year-old Katie Nash, in part based on the author's own experience as a daughter in a military family. Her essay "The Pretend Knitter" appears in the anthology Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting, published by W. W. Norton & Company in November 2013.
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