The Story of Arthur Truluv

Berg connects an unlikely trio of individuals to highlight the myriad ways that families and connections are created and nurtured. The importance of companionship is woven throughout the novel and underscores how much richer and fuller the lives of Arthur, Maddy, and Lucille become when they choose to be together despite societal models.

Berg illustrates that chosen family can be best defined by what it isn’t: it does not need to fit into traditional norms about what it means to be a family, it does not have to be fully understood by broader society, it does not have to contain a biological or romantic attachment, and it subverts convention. Maddy, Arthur, and Lucille are bound together by the things that they have in common and their compassion for one another, not the features that make them look dissimilar on the surface; age, gender, and stage in life matter less than the other bonds they share. For example, Lucille and Arthur are closer in age and stage of life, but Arthur is most similar to Maddy in terms of perspective and disposition. Lucille and Maddy are both women, but Maddy would prefer to have Arthur attend her Lamaze classes, even if others would find it odd. Lucille and Arthur have both lost their romantic partners in Frank and Nola, but Arthur’s experience with grief differs from Lucille’s and his affinity for the dead is something he shares with Maddy. Maddy profoundly illustrates how important Lucille and Arthur are to her when she shares a quote with Lucille: “real families come from choices we make about who we want to be bound to, and the ties to such families live in our hearts” and then goes on to thank Lucille for including her father, with whom she shares a biological tie, but who “is not my real family, but to whom I am also tied” (200). Maddy makes the distinction between real family, Arthur and Lucille, and her family of origin, her father. By the end of the novel, it is suggested that both have a place in her life.

The companionship that the three individuals create is successful because it results in a greater sense of happiness for each of them, and it transforms their lives. They find great satisfaction in being together and in the rhythms of daily life: sitting on the porch together, watching old movies, and preparing for the baby. As Maddy explains, “She loves living with them and she loves them” (193). Their chosen family renews something that was lost for each of them: Arthur and Nola could never have children, but he now Arthur has Maddy and her baby to care for. Maddy’s relationship with Arthur and Lucille creates a home life she never had, and it also connects her to her past. Unlike with her father, she is comfortable talking about her mother with Arthur and Lucille. They show their compassion for her loss when they gift her a restored picture of her mom (165). Lucille’s life is improved because she no longer has to endure the solitude that she faced in her own home, where she had more space than she needed and “[l]ots of closed doors. And if there’s anything that makes you feel lonely, it’s a lot of closed doors in your own house” (145). Lucille sees the contrast between her old life and her new one represented in the neighboring homes: “And the old porch made me sad, because it was all about my life over there, which was mostly awful […] And here, I’ve been so much happier” (171). Lucille’s physical relocation to Arthur’s home represents a transformation in her life from a lonely individual to part of a family. In bringing together Arthur, Lucille, and Maddy, and having the result be a successful and emotionally fulfilled family, Berg demonstrates how the characters’ lives are enriched when they choose companionship outside of convention.