The Darkest Prison
-
- €8.49
-
- €8.49
Publisher Description
When Arthur Pepper discovers a mysterious charm bracelet in his late wife’s wardrobe, he sets off on a journey to discover, charm by charm, her secret life before they met.
Eccentric, charming and wise, this will illuminate your heart.’
-Nina George, author of The Little Paris Bookshop
Having been married for over 40 years, 69-year-old Arthur Pepper is mourning the loss of his wife. On the anniversary of her death, he finally musters the courage to go through her possessions, and happens upon a charm bracelet that he has never seen before.
What follows is a surprising adventure that takes Arthur from London to Paris and India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met, a journey that leads him to find healing, self-discovery, and love in the most unexpected of places.
Reviews
Praise for Arthur Pepper from international publishers:
USA
Arthur Pepper is a character for the ages.
Brazil
Incredibly touching and with a certain nostalgic feel.
Germany
I fell in love with Arthur Pepper on page one. The text reminded me a bit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. And yet the story is utterly unique – as a reader you want to climb into the book.
Italy
This book brings happiness!
About the author
Phaedra Patrick studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organiser and communications manager. Her short stories have won competitions run by Penguin and Darley Anderson and she now writes full time. She lives in Saddleworth with her husband and son.
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is her debut novel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Patrick's debut novel evokes whimsy and poignancy. Since Miriam, his wife of 40 years, died a year ago, 69-year-old Arthur Pepper stopped living; he merely exists, until he finds a gold charm bracelet he'd never seen before tucked inside one of her shoes. The first of the bracelet's eight charms is a bejeweled elephant inscribed with a phone number. He calls it and is shocked to learn that Miriam once lived in India. He sets about exploring the other charms including a tiger, a locket, and a thimble which take him from Yorkshire to a manor house in Bath long past its glory days, and further afield, to London and Paris. While unraveling Miriam's past, Arthur realizes that his outward journey is also a journey within, and in a comically heartwarming fashion he attempts to embrace the unknown while slowly discovering his positive impact on others. This is a sweet story with an almost magical, but never saccharine denouement, as a newly whole Arthur Pepper emerges.
