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Elizabeth Berg
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The Year Of Pleasures MP3 CD – Unabridged, April 5, 2005

by Elizabeth Berg (Author), Sandra Burr (Reader)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,052 ratings
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Betta Nolan moves to a small town after the death of her husband to try to begin life anew. Though still dealing with her sorrow, Betta nonetheless is determined to find pleasure in her simple daily routines. Among those who help her in both expected and unexpected ways are the ten-year-old boy next door, three wild women friends from her college days with whom she reconnects, a young man who is struggling to find his place in the world, and a handsome widower who is ready for love. Elizabeth Berg€™s The Year of Pleasures is about acknowledging the solace found in ordinary things: a warm bath, good food, the beauty of nature, music, and art. Above all, The Year of Pleasures is about the various kindnesses people can - and do - provide one another. Betta€™s journey from grief to joy is a meaningful reminder of what is available to us all, regardless of what fate has in store. This exquisite book suggests that no matter what we lose, life is ready to give bountifully to those who
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Brilliance Audio
  3. Publication date
    April 5, 2005
  4. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.5 x 6.75 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1593357559
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1593357559
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (April 5, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1593357559
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1593357559
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.5 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,052 ratings

About the author

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Elizabeth Berg

Elizabeth Berg

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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

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
2,052 global ratings
Charming story of the joy and pain of remembering and rebuilding.
5 Stars
Charming story of the joy and pain of remembering and rebuilding.
I fell into this book accidentally... in dire need of a story after weeks of non-fiction.I read it in two sittings.Betta has just lost her husband John and the life they lived and loved in Boston. She decides to sell everything and move to a new town in the Midwest to pursue what she and John had always dreamt of. This story follows the sporadic timeline of grief... really.... really.... well. The loneliness, the longing, the momentary joy followed by bouts of “Is it too soon?” How do you rebuild a life you never wanted to have to construct? The characters that surround her are ALL beloved. The neighbors and the college friends.. and the real estate agent Delores. I fell in love with each and every one of them. And so does she.I felt incredibly connected to Betta as she tried to rebuild a life and was rooting for her every step of the way.This book brought me to tears multiple times and I think I will treasure it for quite a long time.
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Top reviews from the United States

Magdalena Curtis
5.0 out of 5 stars What wants a woman...
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
Don't worry, you'll understand the title of my review once you reach the end of this poignant and delicious novel. Elizabeth Berg writes for us...unapologetically. She shares the simple and the complex in the same sentence and offers a meal for the hungry. My appetite was well and full quenched. I did cry deeply a few times and I laughed alot. I loved these characters and I even liked a few, which is an altogether different thing to love. Just read it. Or devour it. Or both.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four and a half stars, actually. I found ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2015
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Four and a half stars, actually. I found this a pleasure to read. Others commented that it was "unbelievable". Hey! It's *fiction*! It doesn't have to reflect every individual's real life experience! The characters were lovable, the story well crafted, and it held my interest. I am a bedtime reader, and I looked forward to watching this enjoyable story progress each evening. If I had to find fault with it, I'd say it ended too soon. I look forward to reading more by this author.
One person found this helpful
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Susan K. Stutler
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for a mature reader.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2010
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This is a good book for a more mature (female) reader. It is a little predictable, but a nice read none the less. I do want to caution the younger reader, say the under fourty ladies, there is probably not a lot here for you. To get anything from this, the reader (or listener, in my case) will have had to have some life experences to really relate to what the author is talking about. All that said, it was a good, easy listen.
One person found this helpful
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Deb T
5.0 out of 5 stars Reading as meditation
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2017
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This is one of my favorite Elizabeth Berg titles. What I love most about her novels is their ability to lure me into loving introspection, to open a doorway into a profound realization about life - its glories and foibles, and to immerse me in mundane moments that the author has transformed into something glorious. During reading of one of her books - and for days afterward, I find myself more fully experiencing the magic of the moments around me. I talk to people differently, and seem to more intimately connect with them - whether it is a close friend, or the lady checking me out at the grocery store. Reading an Elizabeth Berg novel is a sort of "zen awakening" experience for me. I do not know why. But I tend to read her books with a notebook and pen nearby, because I am often inspired to write down thoughts, to create poetry, and to explore my own perceptions and memories. Her books are as soothing to my soul as eating chocolate cookies fresh from the oven, or listening to Van Morrison sing "Into the Mystic". I am sure that many people would have a different experience reading her books, but I know there are others who would share my joy. I am writing this for them. In Year of Pleasures, Berg addresses the inevitability and profundity of loss. She opens the Pandora's box of grief, and bids us take a look inside. Then, she helps us discover for ourselves whether the beauty is worth the pain. For me, there is a journey of self-discovery in every one of her books. And the destination becomes secondary to the passing scenery and the insight I experience as the words roll past.
32 people found this helpful
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Anne L. Watson
3.0 out of 5 stars Sad book
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
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Over half of this book dwells, and dwells, and dwells, on the main character's mourning of her husband's death. I have to wonder whether the author was dealing with issues in her personal life. If this topic is likely to bother you, give this one a miss.

That being said, it's well written. But it is seriously out of balance.
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alicia Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars A favorite writer for women
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
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My second read. Bought it for a friend.
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S. Cooper
4.0 out of 5 stars Touching
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2007
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From the first page I was hooked, I could relate to her words. With her descriptive writing, I could invision what she saw. The story was very moving to me as there were so many similarities to the relationship my husband and I share and I know I will miss him, when the time comes, in the way that she misses John. I liked the characters Betta met along her journey, along with the friends that she reconnects with. A book I will read again every now and then.
One person found this helpful
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Mar
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2022
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I just love Elizabeth Berg's writing. I never want her books to end. It is so refreshing to read a book that has depth and story without foul language. I'm really not a prude; I just don't like reading it. My friend and I talk about how it takes a thinking mind to create emotion without reaching for the nearest f-bomb. It also takes talent and presence - both of which Elizabeth Berg has an abundance. If you haven't read this one - go ahead and get it. And then read everything else she has written. Big joy.
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