Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, January 28, 2018

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

How I Heard About It:  I remember seeing this title via different reviews, but never added it to my TBR list.  When I ran across it on my Cloud Library app, I decided to download it and give it a listen.  This was a novel published for adults that I listened to on audio.  

What It Is About:  Arthur Pepper is an old man.  He spent his life with his wife Miriam.  They raised two children.  Arthur and Miriam had a predictable life.  No surprises.  No changes.  Just day to day life enjoying each other's company.  On the one-year anniversary of Miriam's death, Arthur decides to clear out her things and try to get on with his life.  He comes across a beautiful charm bracelet among Miriam's things.  He hasn't seen it before and wonder what all the charms mean.  This bracelet takes Arthur on a grand adventure that leads him to London, Paris, and India.  Each stop of Arthur's journey, presents a new and interesting secret that Miriam had never shared with her husband.  Arthur struggles with all this new found information and wonders if his wife was truly who he thought she was, and why Miriam never shared this portion of her life.  

What I Thought Of It:  A delightful read/listen.  I tend to gravitate toward the more depressing/dysfunctional type stories.  This was a touching story with an incredible cast of characters.    I so enjoyed following Arthur on his journey and discovery of who and what his wife was before she was married to him.  There were a few surprises along the way, but overall this was a strong, solid, well-told story.  The plot didn't need a lot of "stuff".  The characters held the story together and their emotions came bounding off the page.  The theme of family, life, and being true to yourself was one that often made me pause and think of my own life and the moments I want to remember.  

Who Should Read It:   There isn't a reader out there who could take issue with this novel.  The character of Arthur is one that will forever make an impact on the reader's heart.  In my opinion, both the young-adult and adult reader would be the perfect audience for this delightful novel.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars






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