Title: The Charm Bracelet
Author: Viola Shipman
First published March 22, 2016
298 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781250071323 (ISBN10: 1250071321)
Rating: 3.83
Overview
Discover the enchantment of The Charm Bracelet, a heartwarming tale of three women who learn to treasure family and the simple joys of life through a special heirloom. For years, Lolly’s mother gifted her a charm on her birthday, reminding her that family memories are worth cherishing above all else.
Now in her seventies and struggling to remember, Lolly hopes to reconnect with her daughter and granddaughter, who have drifted apart. When they receive news of Lolly’s condition, Arden and Lauren return home to find their own way back to each other.
As Lolly shares the stories behind each charm on her bracelet, the family learns to appreciate the past and embrace the present. Brimming with love, faith, and inspiration, The Charm Bracelet is a touching tribute to the power of family ties and the little moments that make life so precious.
A keepsake you’ll treasure for years to come.
About the Author
Hello and welcome! I’m thrilled to have you here. I’m a bestselling author with over a dozen books to my name, translated into 21 languages.
My pen name is Viola Shipman, which pays tribute to my working-class grandmother from the Ozarks. Her stories, heirlooms, and love inspire my novels, all of which are a tribute to family and our elders, meant to inspire hope.
My grandmother used to say, “Life is as short as one blink of God’s eye, but we too often forget what matters most in that blink.” As a result, my novels are meant to remind readers of what’s most important in life: each other.
My latest novel is a winter charmer that’s sure to tug on heartstrings and delight readers who love books about books, missed connections, and the magic of Christmas. Think Serendipity and An Affair to Remember, with echoes of classic Hollywood love stories.
The story follows Susan Norcross, who lost her parents in a tragic accident just before her fourteenth Christmas. Despite this, she’s had it better than most, with loving grandparents to raise her and a gang of quirky, devoted friends to support her.
Now a successful bookstore owner in a tight-knit Michigan lakeside community, Susan is facing down forty—the same age as her mother when she died—and she can’t help but see everything she hasn’t achieved, including finding a love match of her own. To add to the pressure, everyone in her small town believes it’s Susan’s destiny to meet and marry a man dressed as Santa, just like her mother and grandmother before her.
So it seems cosmically unfair that the man she makes an instant connection with at an annual Santa Run is lost in the crowd before she can get his name.
What follows is Susan and her friends’ hilarious and heartwarming search for the mystery Santa—covering twelve months of social media snafus, authors behaving badly, and dating fails—as well as a poignant look at family, friendship, and what defines a well-lived and well-loved life.
As New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods said, “Viola Shipman has written a captivating story for anyone whose memories run deep… This book keeps faith and hope alive!” Don’t miss this not-to-be-missed delight.
Editoral Review
In The Charm Bracelet, author Viola Shipman weaves a heartwarming tale of family, love, and cherished memories. The novel, first published in March 2016, is a work of contemporary fiction that centers around the story of three generations of women, each with a charm bracelet that holds significant memories and experiences.
Shipmans writing style is evocative, emotional and masterful in its ability to paint vivid images in the readers mind. Through her writing, she deftly explores the themes of love, loss, regret, forgiveness, and redemption with a touching authenticity that is refreshing.
Set in the unforgettable town of Scoops, the novel follows the complex relationships between three generations of women in the Masterson family. Lolly, the matriarch of the family, is a grandmother who has lived through many ups and downs and has a charm bracelet representing every milestone in her life.
Her daughter, Arden, is a successful businesswoman who has lost touch with her family and is dealing with her own personal struggles. Lolly’s granddaughter, Lauren, is a young woman struggling to find her place in the world while navigating her complex relationship with Arden.
One of the strengths of the book is the way in which Shipman subtly incorporates the history of the charm bracelet into the story. The author examines the cultural significance of the charm bracelet at different points in history, touching on the sentimental attachment people have to them.
The charm bracelet becomes a symbol of the passage of time and an embodiment of cherished memories. Shipman’s exploration of family relations is another salient aspect of the novel.
The Mastersons are a family that has suffered from past traumas, and they must deal with the fallout of those experiences. The challenges each character faces are unique, but they are all connected by the bonds of family.
Shipmans characters are well developed, and the reader becomes deeply invested in their journeys. While the pacing of the novel can be slow at times, this is not necessarily a disadvantage because it allows the reader to fully comprehend the complexity of the characters and their histories.
In addition, the main conflict of the novel is not revealed until later in the book, and is resolved too quickly, which could have been handled better with a little more build-up. Overall, The Charm Bracelet is a poignant and emotional book that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
Shipmans masterful storytelling evokes a powerful sense of nostalgia and sentimentality. The novel’s exploration of family relationships, love, and loss is both timely and timeless.
It is ideal for readers who enjoy heartwarming novels with deep character development and an engaging storyline. In conclusion, The Charm Bracelet is a must-read for anyone looking for a touching story that captures the essence of love, family, and tradition.
The novel is rich with imagery, eminently relatable, and celebrates the memories that make us who we are. I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
It would have been a perfect score were it not for the pacing issues and the rushed resolution. Nonetheless, this book is a testament to Shipman’s exceptional writing ability and promise of more great work to come.