The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

Unless you have married your high school sweetheart, most people have had more than one relationship before they settle down and marry.  You probably had many adventures in your life also before you met you spouse.  As you and your loved one are getting to know each other, you spend time sharing stories about your past.  But, do you tell everything or leave secrets between you. Should there be an air of mystery or should every little adventure be divulged?  Author, Phaedra Patrick plays with just that theme in her novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper.

Arthur Pepper became a widower a year ago.  He is still trying to cope with living alone, missing his wife, Miriam terribly.  On the anniversary of her death he finally decides to clean out the closet and donate her things to charity.  As he goes through her pockets and things checking for loose change before putting them in the donation pile, he comes across a charm bracelet he never remembers seeing Miriam wear.  He becomes aware that she may have had an adventurous life before they met. He heads off to find out what each of the charms on the bracelet represent, following the path his
wife took through life on her way to marry him.

Arthur meets all kinds of interesting people along the way and learns not only about Miriam's life before she met him, but also learns quite a bit about himself also.  Arthur and Miriam have two grown children, Lucy and Dan, who have gone off and created their own lives.  As Arthur looks back on his marriage and family life when the children were young, he sees things he would have handled differently.  As Arthur tells one of the people he meets along the way about the bracelet and how he is tracing the story behind the charms, he explains that his reasoning is because he wants to know Miriam better, but also he says, "I am learning more about myself, too.  With each person I encounter, with each story I hear, I feel as if I am changing and growing.  And maybe others will benefit a little from meeting me also.  It's a strange feeling."

This is a sweet story. The main characters are nicely developed.  It is a story of love, old ad new, and standing up for and defending love no matter what.  It is a story of finding out how to make the most of life and the cards you are dealt. It about learning how to listen, to be there for other people. It is a lesson in reaching out and letting other people in.  There are a few instances where the reader needs to suspend belief and go with the flow.  There were some points where this reader was skeptical that some events were really realistic.  But, to make the lessons work you are willing to take the leap and let the story take you along for the ride.