[Book Review] The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick is a lovely tale about love, loss, and overcoming things from the past to enjoy the present.

I chose this book for my work’s book club, and I cannot wait to discuss it with my group!

Let’s dive into my review!

My Thoughts on The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

When the story begins, we meet a charming older gentleman named Arthur Pepper. Arthur is trying to deal with the first anniversary of his wife’s death. In an attempt to begin moving forward, Arthur begins going through his late wife’s things in order to donate them to a local organization. While doing this, he found a heart shaped box that held a mysterious charm bracelet.

While Arthur inspects the bracelet, he discovers that there is a phone number engraved on the golden elephant. When he rings the number, he learns that his wife used to live in India where she was an ayah for a family.

This discovery sets Arthur on a journey to learn more about the life that his wife lead before they had met and married. Over the course of this journey, Arthur learns about his wife, but he learns even more about himself.

This tale was so wonderful. Arthur met a number of really interesting and unique characters that helped him along the way in way both large and small. My favorite of the bunch was a man named Mike who lived in an apartment with his dog and played music on the street.

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and sweetness; Arthur also had run ins with some rather nasty folk… And it broke my heart to see Arthur going through such a hard time and second guessing his life. But, much to my relief, everything ends up working out.

I also really loved the focus on family. Learning more about the life that Arthur and his wife, Miriam, shared was so heartwarming. I loved that we got to see things through the stories of their children here and there as well.

My Favorite Passages from The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

But the newly discovered charm bracelet was an obstacle to his intentions. It raised questions where once there were none. It had opened a door and he had stepped through it.

Dan and Dad’s relationship always had an edge on it, as if the two men couldn’t quite embrace each other’s ways and personalities. They were like two jigsaw pieces with the same bit of sky on, but which didn’t fit together. 

She sometimes felt like the spider in the middle of the family web, trying to hold all the threads together.

When he was finished he held four completed pages in his hands. His wrist ached and he was teary from emotion and as empty as an egg with no yolk. 

My Final Thoughts on The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

This is a book that you will want to pick up on a day off. It was simple and honest, but it will totally captivate you.

I absolutely adored Arthur and I was so curious about his quest to learn more about each of the charms on the bracelet. I found myself smiling a lot while reading this one!

If you enjoy stories with a little sadness, but a whole lot of heart and growth, then I highly recommend this one to you! The main premise behind the movie UP came to mind while I was reading this.

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Thanks for reading!
What was the last book that you read that you just couldn’t put down? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!