Another book I’d have never picked up, but a book club read that turned enjoyable. An author from the UK, this debut now among her six novels, but the most successful. I was told it was turned into a movie, but have not found evidence of such on the internet. She generally writes “uplifting, life-affirming fiction.”

It’s a simple book. Sweet plot.

Arthur Pepper is a widower who has settled into a deep depression following the death of his wife of forty-plus years. At sixty-nine years of age, he has developed a routine that varies little from minute to minute—none of which has to do with his children, his neighbors, or the simple act of shopping for groceries. He has little interest in anything outside of his fern and garden.

So it is upon facing the first anniversary of her death that he has decided to clear some of her belongings and it is in this project that he discovers a gold charm bracelet that he has never seen before, well hidden.

Finding a telephone number on one of the charms, he can’t resist calling it, as he can’t imagine how or why Miriam would have a charm with an Indian telephone number on it. It begins the odyssey to find out more about her life before himself.

I loved how each of the charms left a tiny hint as to what the next charm might have represented and the amazing story behind each. The stories were touching, hilarious, tragic, simple, and powerful. Each a testament to the woman he married who had never shared her life (and that was an early difficult part to understand).

The characters are well developed, each conveying the story of their experience with his wife. Each of the adventures in which Arthur was led opened a new door to the woman he thought he knew.  It was inspirational, compulsive, and emotional, a book you’ll enjoy if you love light, fast, and fun reading.

Many thanks to our local well-stocked library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own as well as my interpretation of the consensus of the book club participants.

The publisher provides questions for discussion at the book club, aided this time by questions additionally posed by the library.

A few of the items specifically examined were:

►How was Arthur Pepper changed? Obviously from a grieving and depressive widower to one who discovered there was still life out there that confirmed the love from Miriam for him was genuine.

►Was the book really an adventure, mystery, or family life fiction? All three, although Amazon has it classed as Later in Life Romance, Contemporary British & Irish Literature, and Travel and Vacation Fiction.

►Can intergenerational friendships work? Extended discussion appeared to agree that it could.

►The question was posed as to the favorite character. There were a number of lively and completely diverse characters. This led to an extensive discussion on all the adventures and the character each introduced as the reason for the charm. Most were…charming. Many, including myself, noted Mike as being particularly interesting and generous, while some also noted Bernadette as being a bit too much or as the busy-body opposite to the positive characters.

Book Details:

Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Narrator: James Langton
Publication Date: May 3, 2016

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US  |  Amazon-UK   |   Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo

 

The Author: Hello and welcome to my author page! If you click the yellow ‘Follow’ button, Amazon will send you an email when I have a new release, or if there’s a special deal you might be interested in.

I’ve always wanted to write books but came to it the long way around. I originally studied art and marketing and then worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organiser and communications manager. I won several awards for my short stories and have now written six novels, four of which became USA Today bestsellers. I live with my family in Saddleworth, UK, where I write full time.

My debut novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, was translated into twenty five languages worldwide and was optioned by a major Hollywood film studio.

My second novel, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (named Wishes Under the Willow Tree in the UK), was made into a Hallmark movie in 2021.

My third novel, inspired by my love of stories, is The Library of Lost and Found. It was selected as ’The Great North West Read,’ to be read across 300 libraries in the UK in 2019.

My fourth is titled The Secrets of Love Story Bridge (The Secrets of Sunshine in the UK) and my fifth, The Messy Lives of Book People (titled The Book Share in the UK) was the Barnes & Noble fiction pick for June 2022 in the USA.

I hope you enjoy my sixth novel, The Little Italian Hotel, a warm, uplifting escape about the power of love, friendship and following your dreams.

Please visit my website at http://www.phaedra-patrick.com for more info, writing tips and to sign up to my newsletter. You can also get in touch with me via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

©2026 – V Williams