Elizabeth Berg returns to tight-knit Mason, Mo., in Night of Miracles, an engaging stand-alone novel that picks up 10 years after The Story of Arthur Truluv. Lucille Howard--Arthur's never-married neighbor--is a vigorous 93-year-old who bakes sweet treats for Polly's Henhouse, a local café. She also teaches baking classes in her home. With all that work, she decides to take on an assistant. In a scene that is both tender and telling, Lucille reluctantly hires Iris Winters, a baking-illiterate transplant from Boston.
Iris, a divorcée, strives to navigate a life riddled with tragedy and loss, but she is not alone. Her neighbor and friend "Tiny" Dawson is a good-natured, hard-working cabbie with weight and self-image issues. He harbors a secret affection for Monica Mayhew, a friendly waitress at the Henhouse, who is insecure thanks to a toxic former romance. Added to the mix are Jason Summers and his wife, Abby, who move in next door to Lucille. A life-threatening health challenge forces the newcomers to ask their kindly neighbor for help in babysitting their precocious 10-year-old son, Lincoln. Lucille and Link form an unlikely bond that transcends their age difference.
The lives of these well-drawn, interconnected characters orbit Lucille--a strong, resilient woman weathered by hard knocks--whose upbeat spirit influences everyone she encounters in the supportive, small-town community. Well-tended story threads braided with bittersweet plot twists enrich the texture and unifying message of this endearing, feel-good story. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines