Richman’s ‘The Time Keepers’ a tale of love and redemption amidst war
When it comes to literary historical fiction, Alyson Richman is one of the best authors writing today.
She always does pristine research, which makes for a more exciting read. In "The Time Keepers," she's outdone herself yet again.
Grace Golden is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Irish immigrant with a complicated childhood, married to a Jewish watchkeeper. The couple have two children.
One morning in May, Grace takes an alternate route home from Mass. She notices a small boy curled up against a building, sleeping. Not being able to just ignore him and leave him behind, she takes his hand and brings him to her home.
After she takes him to the police station, she meets his aunt, who has been looking for him. Anh, the boy's aunt, is the only surviving member of the family. The two have been staying at Our Lady of Martyrs, which is a community of nuns who care for people in need. These two Vietnam refugees are two of many being helped. None of the nuns speak a word of Vietnamese. They call them the Boat People and we find they were saved while trying to escape their own country as it had forsaken them.
Two very different women: Grace experienced a tragedy when she was young that she has never been able to totally escape. So when she had the opportunity to leave Ireland, she jumped on it and came to live in Queens, NY, sponsored as a nanny. Anh was lucky to escape with her life as she watched the horrors affecting her family. So both women are trying to forget their pasts and move forward.
We meet Jack just before he is sent to Vietnam to fight. He leaves behind a sick mother and a lovely young woman named Becky, who is the love of his life, whom he expects to marry once his tour of duty is done.
Keep your eyes on the watch Jack gives Becky to keep safe for him. Jack's a rigorous young man at the peak of health. His handsome face lights up with a smile to take your breath away. But the war changes him. To the point where he is no longer able to feel secure in the company of others. But he does feel safe working at the Golden Hour shop. He works after hours cleaning and repairing clocks and timepieces. The shop belongs to Tom, who is married to Grace. Tom inherited the shop from his father when he passed. Tom was prepared to go to war, but circumstances got in the way. He wrecked his motorcycle and ruined his leg. Bummer. But maybe it saved his life.
The backstory in Vietnam is so realistic because Richman used information told to her by a real Vietnamese escape survivor. And it shows. And even knowing the escape scene actually happened, it is horrifying to comprehend.
Jack's story gets its reality from the real story of Richmond's friend Pete Mohan, who so selflessly shared his experiences serving as a Marine during the war.
I grew up during this time of the Vietnam War. And as I've said before, this war changed my life completely, as it has done for millions more. Reading this incredible novel brings even more insight into the plight of the innocent Vietnamese people. So much I did not know. The South Vietnamese people were treated brutally by the new Communist regime. Many of them lost everything, including their families.
The Golden Hour is a charming clock shop filled with tall graceful grandfather clocks, wall-mounted clocks, elegant mantel clocks and hand-painted porcelain ones. It's a safe place for both Tom and Jack. The characters and story are brought together like a precious timepiece. This shop mends timepieces and might even mend broken souls.
Looking back at the list of novels Richman has written, I have to say I loved them all!
Richman is the USA Today bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels, including "The Velvet Hours," "The Garden of Letters" and "The Lost Wife," which is currently in development for a major motion picture.
She graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in art history and Japanese studies. She is an accomplished painter and her novels combine her deep love of art, historical research and travel. Richman's novels have been published in 25 languages and have reached the bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two children, where she is currently at work on her next novel. ¦
