Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg
Katie Nash #1
Fiction
1993
Finished on January 7, 2026
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
"Sometimes life is so hard and then, bingo, it's like happiness is pushing at your back, waiting to come out your front..."
In the sweltering heat of a Southwestern summer, on a small army base in rural Texas, Katie waits impatiently for her life to change. These are uncertain times--a mix of pleasure and pain, of girlish confusion and adult discovery. Though battered by the recent death of her mother--and by a distant, abusive father driven to near madness by inner pain and rage--Katie's spirit remains miraculously strong. For she knows one day soon she'll be a woman. One day soon she'll understand.
I have now read this debut novel by Elizabeth Berg three times! I was organizing one of my bookcases and realized that I have more than a dozen of Berg's books, most of which I read back in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The author's books are comfort reads filled with scenes of everyday life and engaging dialogue. I zipped through Durable Goods in two nights, and enjoyed it even better than the first two times I read it. I guess I'll put it back on my "keeper" bookcase.
Click here to read my previous thoughts on Durable Goods.
Below are links & ratings of all of Berg's books that I've read to date (2026):
Talk Before Sleep (4/5)
Range of Motion (4/5)
The Pull of the Moon (4/5) and (5/5)
Joy School (4/5)
What We Keep (4.5/5)
Open House (5/5)
Ordinary Life (4.5/5)
Never Change (4.5/5)
True to Form (4/5)
Say When (4.5/5)
The Art of Mending (4/5)
A Year of Pleasures (5/5)
We Are All Welcome Here (3/5)
Dream When You're Feeling Blue (2.5/5)
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted (3.5/5)
Home Safe (4.5/5)
The Last Time I Saw You (2.5/5)
Once Upon a Time, There Was You (2.5/5)
Night of Miracles (5/5)
The Confession Club (2/5)
I knew it had been a long time since I read a book by this author, but when I checked my lists it was 1997. I read both Pull Of The Moon and Talk Before Sleep. Wonder if all of these are still available at libraries. I was helping pull books for possible weeding yesterday when I volunteered and I recognized some. Always am a little sad when I'm pulling a book that I have enjoyed in the past.
ReplyDeleteKay, I think Talk Before Sleep was my first read of Berg's. It was back during the time of a lot of "women's friendship" stories, which I enjoyed. I know how you feel about pulling old books that haven't been checked out in a long time. I used to do that monthly at B&N, which was kind of a fun project, but also sad to see some favorite disappearing from the shelves. Gotta make room for the new stuff, though, right?
DeleteI have actually never read a book by Elizabeth Berg. This post is making me want to try one though! I will have to go check my library this weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou should have plenty to choose from, Jackie.
DeleteOh dear. I just checked my blog and I've read Better Off Friends (4.5 stars) and Dream When You are Feeling Blue (4 stars). I don't remember them, but apparently enjoyed them!
ReplyDeleteHelen, you enjoyed Dream When You're Feeling Blue much better than I did, so maybe you'll enjoy some of her early books. I haven't read Better Off Friends, but will look for it at the library.
DeleteI've not read this author but you reading a book three times is a pretty good recommendation! Thank you for adding the links to so many of her books. Helpful.
ReplyDeleteTina, I really enjoyed her books back in the late 90s/early 2000s. She's had a few winners more recently, too. Not sure how to describe her books. Women's domestic fiction, maybe? Not fluff, but not highbrow lit.
DeleteAccording to Goodreads I have not read any Elizabeth Berg, but that's actually a case of not reading her since I've been on goodreads (2012). So many of the cover are familiar and I know I've enjoyed many of her books over the years. This sounds like another good one!
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, she's had a lot of winners over the years. She used to be an auto-buy, but now I get them from the library since some of her more recent releases were duds.
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