I have always found Elizabeth Berg’s novels to be highly readable and enjoyable. They don’t seem to ask much of the reader but leave you satisfied at the end. I had similar hopes for The Year of Pleasures but was left a bit wanting.
Betta Nolan is a 55-year-old widow who is embarking on a new life after the death of her husband. She sells their home, gives up writing children’s books, and plans to make a home in a new community. She settles in a large Victorian home, the kind they always dreamed of having, in a small town in Illinois.
Soon she is making friends with her realtor, a young handyman and the precocious child who lives next door. Ultimately she reaches out to her best friends who she’s lost contact with and hopes that their friendship bonds haven’t been broken by time.
I enjoyed reading the simple rituals Betta tried to console herself with, such as sitting at the café and to savor a new drink or walking in wonder around a new town. I especially liked how Berg shows the reader just how vulnerable Betta is after losing someone she loved so much.
However, there are several instances that just didn’t ring true for me. One major one is the way she handles her relationship with her friends. It was too easy for her to call find them, call then and reunite. I think given that Betta had basically dropped them once she got married, that at least one of the friends would have found it difficult to welcome her back into the fold.
Some of those inconsistencies do distract a lot but if you want an easy read and one that isn’t too long you can’t go wrong with The Year of Pleasures. If anything it’ll just remind you that life is too short and you should indulge in whatever your pleasures may be.