The Year of Pleasures

The Year of Pleasures
by Elizabeth Berg

Well, I’ve always openly admitted my adoration of Elizabeth Berg. But “The Year of Pleasures” is my favourite of her books by far. I didn’t read it as much as I savoured it – I was keenly aware with every page turn how close I was getting to the end and I consciously read a little slower than usual to prolong the experience.

This book is about Betta, a woman in her mid-fifties who suddenly loses her husband, John, to cancer. John makes Betta promise him that she will find joy in her life even after he’s gone and that she’ll realize their dream of leaving the city for a small town. Betta struggles to keep her promise in the face of her overwhelming grief. She leaves Boston and buys a big old house in a small town. She begins a new life alone and negotiates for herself how to simultaneously hold onto John and also how to let him go. Betta gradually recognizes that happiness isn’t always something that just happens to you, but that you must seek it out. So Betta begins to seek out happiness in her life; she nourishes new friendships and rekindles old friendships.

Berg’s portrayal of a woman trying to create that most difficult thing – a joyful life – despite her tremendous loss is very moving. This is a beautiful novel about learning to cherish the small pleasures in life.