Skip to content

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

Arthur Pepper has lost his wife Miriam a year earlier, and his grief is still very raw. He rarely goes out and spends his days vigorously cleaning every corner of his house, talking to his plant and avoiding his well-meaning neighbor Bernadette. When he finds a mysterious charm bracelet in his wife’s wardrobe, his curiosity is picked, and he sets out to discover the stories behind each charm. His quest will take him from France to India and will lead to his meeting all sorts of quirky characters. But will he find the answers he is looking for?

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is Phaedra Patrick’s first novel, and it is an impressive foray into fiction writing. As the title suggests, the story is charming and original. Arthur Pepper’s trials are told with humor and candor. In fact, he is a very lovable character, and his struggles with grief and the challenges of old age make him all the more human. In addition, the book illustrates perfectly the very real gap between the internet/mobile savvy youths and the more grounded-in-reality older generation. I highly recommend this novel. You won’t be disappointed.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Fun facts about the book and the author:

  • Phaedra Patrick came up with the idea of the book when she showed her son her own childhood charm bracelet.
  • Her first name is Greek, even though her family isn’t.
  • The author wrote the book long-hand during her commute to work. She now writes full time on a computer.
  • Her father was an undertaker, and she sometimes went to school in a limousine or a hearse.

About the author and her work: Phaedra Patrick’s website.

If you liked this book, you might also like:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman