Exclusive interview with author Phaedra Patrick and a review of her book about a man who learns from his wife’s life
Rating: 4 Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“When my son was smaller, he’s now ten, he used to enjoy playing with my bracelet and I told him where each of the charms came from,” says The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper author Phaedra Patrick. “A friend had sadly passed away and I started to think of a story about Arthur Pepper, an elderly man who discovers a mysterious charm bracelet in his late wife, Miriam’s, wardrobe. He sets off on an epic journey to find out the story behind each of the charms.”
A charm bracelet is the catalyst that sets Arthur on an adventure to learn about his wife and himself. The journey that Arthur goes on is cathartic, will take him out of his comfort zone. Ultimately, it’s healing for him and those around him, a story of personal growth. The charms are the charms from his wife’s bracelet and the hidden charms of Arthur, qualities that he didn’t know he had. This is the first novel by Patrick. Looking forward to more from this author.
Arthur Pepper lost his wife a year ago. He’s a person of routine. He gets up in the morning at the same time. He wears the same clothing he’s worn for most of his life. When his wife died he did take over watering her plant. Today is the anniversary of her death. As he’s going through his late wife’s things he finds a gold charm bracelet hidden in the toe of a boot. It stops him. Arthur has never seen his wife wear it. Who gave it to her? Why did she hide it? What does he not know about his wife?
“I knew from a very young age that writing was something I wanted to do,” says Patrick. “So I just kept on going. This book was the first one that I wrote for myself, from the heart, without trying to guess what I thought the market and publishers might want.”
“I like to write what I know,” says Patrick. “So apart from some checking out of travel details, for example how long it might to take to get from one place to another, I did very little. Arthur leaves his home in York, UK, to travel to London, Paris and India. I have been to each of those places.”
Patrick did her research on the Internet. “I wish it had been around when I was smaller as I might have become a writer much sooner with all the fantastic information available out there.”
Erika Imranyi at Mira is Patrick’s U.S. editor. “Very supportive and collaborative,” says Patrick. “The only tricky part of the process was when I received edits from the U.S. and UK simultaneously…to keep track of them both, in one manuscript. My U.S. and UK editors worked together to produce one set of edits for me, which were really insightful.
Clare Wallace at Darley Anderson, Literary, Film and TV Agency in London, UK, is Patrick’s agent. “I won a short story competition with them a few years ago,” says Patrick. “So when I was looking for an agency I approached them, alongside others. Four out of the five agents I submitted to asked to read the full manuscript. However, I was impressed by Clare’s speed of response, her passion for the book and her honesty. The agency also represents great authors, such as Lee Child.”
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is being published in nineteen countries, with seventeen translations.
Patrick is currently finishing her next book. Again the protagonist is a male character who undergoes a transformation in his life.
Patrick lives in Saddleworth, UK, about twelve miles from Manchester. She was born in Oldham.
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. Hardcover: 336 pages, Publisher: MIRA (May 3, 2016), Language: English, ISBN: 978-0778319337 $ 24.99
