In this rich and deeply satisfying novel by the beloved author of The Art of Mending, and Open House, a resilient woman embarks upon an unforgettable journey of adventure, self-discovery, and renewal.

Betta Nolan moves to a small town after the death of her husband to try to begin anew. Pursuing a dream of a different kind of life, she is determined to find pleasure in her simply 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, a twenty-year-old who is struggling to find his place in the world, and a handsome man 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, friends, and art.

"Berg writes with humor and a big heart about resilience, loneliness, love, and hope. And the transcendence that redeems", said Andre Dubus about Durable Goods. And the same could be said about The Year of Pleasures.

"Poignant, intimate, and hopeful, this is a novel to read, treasure, and share." Library Journal

"The prolific Berg champions middle-aged craziness in an impossibly sunny soap opera." Kirkus Reviews

"It is immediately and constantly engaging....The Year of Pleasures is a Berg novel, one of the best." Chicago Tribune

"One of the reasons she has so many readers might be that despite any perceived flaws in her work, her ideas nourish and sustain. She leaves lessons of her own on slips of paper, and that's more than enough." USA Today

"Berg captures the noble balancing act one strives for when life as one has known it is in fact falling apart....It is a story about gaining compassion and lavishing it on ourselves." Providence Journal

"The Year of Pleasures is a quick read, but its story lingers. In a time when bestseller lists are filled with books that chronicle fantastic discoveries in faraway places, it's refreshing to read a novel that explores the most intriguing and emotion-packed adventure of all: everyday life." Dallas-Ft. Worth Star Telegram

Elizabeth Berg is the New York Times bestselling author of thirteen previous novels, including The Art of Mending Say When, True to Form, Never Change, and Open House (an Oprah Book Club selection in 2000). Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year, and Talk Before Sleep was short-listed for the ABBY Award in 1996. The winner of the 1997 New England Booksellers Award for her body of work, Berg is also the author of a nonfiction book, Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True. She lives in Chicago.