Miriam Pepper died a year ago. Her husband, Arthur, has tried to keep the house together and set a routine for his life. His neighbors check on him and bring him food, but sometimes, many times, he doesn't want to get out of bed.
On the one year anniversary of Miriam's death, Arthur decides he should probably clean out her clothes and other belongings. As he is putting her boots in the bag, he notices there is something in the toe of one boot. It is a box, and within that box is a charm bracelet.
The charm bracelet is a piece of jewelry that he doesn't recognize, and on the bracelet is an elephant charm that appears to have a phone number. On a whim, he called the number on the bracelet. It is a number in India, and a male voice answers. That person on the other end of the line changes Arthur's life and balance. His wife had a life that he knew nothing about. The elephant charm was the first charm on the bracelet. What about all of the other charms on the bracelet? What do they mean? How can he find out the mystery of his wife's past?
Arthur starts out on a journey that leads him to many locales, including India and Paris. On his search, he learns a lot about himself and the person he was when he worked as a locksmith. As he tries to learn who his wife really was, he struggles with the information and says, "I'm learning that it's the things you say and do that people remember you for. She is no longer here, but she lives on in people's hearts and minds."
Arthur always thought of himself as boring. He wondered what Miriam ever saw in him. But Arthur learns that he is anything but boring, and that he really is open to new adventures - if he just lets himself feel alive again.
This is now one of my favorite books. I love the character and his spunkiness. I also love his outlook on life. Several times as I was reading, I thought to myself that I could use a good dose of Arthur Pepper spunk.
This is Patrick's first novel, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
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