The Locket

Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved Michael. I loved the person he was, the way he took care of his mother, and his romantic relationship with Faye. I also loved Esther, but her situation was so sad. I kept asking her "Why did you allow that to happen?" But she was determined that the same thing did not happen to Michael and Faye. This book is touching and sentimental. One of Richard Paul's best books.

90% of the time, when critics REALLY hate a book or movie, it's good. Richard Paul Evans, who has never pretended that he is the next Tolstoy, pens an excellent novel that tugs at the heartstrings, with traditional values and characters. (So they can't stand him. His success speaks otherwise about his skills)Departing from the Christmas Box trilogy, Evans has clearly altered his style a bit in "Locket." The dialogue flows a bit more easily, and the descriptions are more thorough. The main character, Michael, is an impoverished young man whose mother has just died, and who figures that it's just a matter of time until his wealthy, beautiful girlfriend Faye dumps him like a ton of bricks. Her father, additionally, is opposed to her marrying anything other than a guy with five limos and an army of servants in their lush mansion.So Michael takes a job at a local nursing home, and befriends an elderly lady named Esther, who lives half in her tragic past, longing for a man she "let get away." Esther's journey is tangled with Michael's, especially when he is accused of beating an old man to death and risks losing Faye. Michael is... well, indescribable. He's perfect without being annoying, because he had to suffer to gain it. Faye manages to rise above being just another rich girlfriend, by informing her boyfriend just what she wants out of her life. Esther is almost beyond human, like someone who has one foot in heaven already.There are hints of violence, though none is actually shown, and pretty much no profanity in this. There is an attempted seduction, but the gal doesn't get past Michael's shirt. This book is proof positive that gratuitous crud to appeal to the lowest denominator does not need to be inserted for it to be a wonderful piece of work. No sex, no crudity, just a wonderful romance.Though there are peculiar situations (two old woman in wheelchairs duking it out) Evans never plays senility or old people for laughs, but rather with regret that they can be treated callously.The courtroom scenes in an Evans novel gave me pause, as it didn't seem much like "his thing," but he pulled it off in rare style, very realistically. The scene where Michael stands outside and learns to forgive is one of the most beautiful things I've read in modern fiction.As soon as I can, I'm buying "Carousel," to hear more about Michael and Faye...

Since I am about the same age as the main character in this book, I took a lot of it to heart. I am usually put off by first person narratives, such as this book, but this one had a way of allowing me to internalize the feelings of Michael and feel what he was feeling. The reader quickly realizes that Esther is not what she seems...she is a person living on hope, but comes across as one who wants to be shut away from the world. This book makes you realize the need for second chances in life. If that is the one thing you take away from reading this, then you have at least made a start. There are lessons throughout this book, just waiting to be found. I admit, I was given this book shortly after it came out, and it has sat on my bookshelf until today. It was so good, I finished it in less than 3 hours. Other than putting the book in your hands, I don't know a way to more strongly recommend this book.

I bought this book a while ago, but put it in my bookshelf without much taught. Once I went back to read it, I couldn't put it down! This book has a little bit of everything! It's about romance, unrequited love, justice and injustice, forgiveness and faith. I especially like the excerpt's from Esther's diary. I cryed at the end when Michael reads Esther's letter. You've got to get this book and read it immediately.

How refreshing to read a book that has an inspirational message plus contains no graphic sex or "4 letter words," yet at the same time, a believable story that is not contrived...a rarity these days!! I enjoyed the thought-provoking excerpts from Esther's diary at the beginning of each chapter--a clever touch by Evans. The flow is good and his descriptions of the characters and scenes breathe with reality. A few times, however, he overdoes the character descriptions with a string of trite adjectives. This is a poignant, touching tale that has a little bit of everything and will appeal to males as well as females. I found it difficult to put down once I got into the story. Keep up the quality writing, Richard Paul Evans!