While holding vigil at his wife’s bedside, octogenarian Lester has little to preoccupy himself with other than wishing she would wake from her coma. That is, until he crosses paths with Dawson Hughes, a charming, enigmatic man who lives on the lavish upper floor of their retirement home that’s reserved for wealthy aging residents. Everyone, including Lester, is immediately taken by him––his kindly demeanor, his brilliant blue eyes, and the peculiar freckles that have earned him the nickname “Pepper.” As Lester meets the people in Dawson’s orbit, he reveals an extraordinary life peppered with miracles, one of which might be the key to granting his most desperate wish.
Scott Kimmins’ prose is as charming as the novel’s characters, and for a story that spans over a hundred years, it has a lot of work to do. Lester is the man on a mission uncovering the mystery that is Pepper, but the novel bursts with other tales, other lives entwined with this angelic man. His unique gift––which he often struggles to accept or even understand––has the ability to touch people’s lives and leave a lasting impression. It doesn’t always work the way he means it, and his own journey isn’t without loss and heartbreak. But it’s a wonderfully human journey for someone who defies the limits of mortality, full of friendship, romance, acceptance, and compassion. PEPPERED shows the ripple effect one person can have on countless others, whether it’s just for a moment or years at a time. How different lives can weave between each other in unexpected ways and change them in the blink of an eye.
From a closeted priest struggling to find guidance and a doctor desperate to help, and the woman who’s been there with him since the start, all of these people have their own journey intercepted by Pepper. It’s a drama about relationships and connections grounded in real emotion, real conflict, but there’s always this beautiful undercurrent of magic––a light dash, miracles that the book asks its readers to believe just as Pepper asks Lester to believe. PEPPERED offers an uplifting, emotional, and at times, a philosophical story that’s filled to the brim with love and warmth.
Cleverly written by Scott Kimmins, PEPPERED spins a feel-good story into a sort of modern folktale with plenty of heart.
~Jessica Thomas for IndieReader