Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone

March 20, 2017
In her delightful second novel, Patrick once again imbues objects with magic. In her first book, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, bracelet charms transform a widower’s life. Here, gemstones—their singular qualities head every chapter—take on special meaning for jeweler Benedict Stone (yes, “Stone”). His bleak life—Estelle, his wife of nearly 10 years, is taking a “time out” from their marriage—is upturned when Gemma (yes, “Gemma”) the teenage daughter of his estranged brother, Charles, shows up from America on the doorstep of his home in Noon Sun, a small English village. Although instinct tells him Gemma may be running from something, Benedict allows her to stay and shows her something dear to him: his late father’s notebook about gems and their meanings, to which Gemma adds additional comments. It’s particularly poignant for Benedict to connect with his niece because his temporary separation from Estelle was provoked by their being unable to have children of their own. Gemma comes up with some ideas for him to win Estelle back (“WEB”) and, in the process, gets him on an exercise and better eating routine, helps renovate his tired store, rejuvenates his passion for work, and alters the lives of countless Noon Sun villagers. More importantly, a long-held secret is divulged, a feud ended, and the varied meanings of family explored.

April 1, 2017
Unabashedly heartwarming, Patrick's (The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, 2016) second novel is set in a quaint English village where our hero drinks lots of tea and eats too many sweets.Benedict Stone is a mild-mannered, risk-averse jewelry maker who runs a shop originally owned by his late father in a town called Noon Sun. Much to his dismay, Estelle, his wife of 10 years, has left him, partly due to the couple's unresolved feelings about their childlessness. Lucky for Benedict, his plucky 16-year-old niece, Gemma, suddenly appears, on the run from her family in the States. Gemma takes her uncle in hand, helping him spruce up his shop and turn out more creative pieces of jewelry. She also prods him to woo back his wife. (While clearly meant to be amusing, some of Benedict's ploys--one involving a sword; another a llama--are deeply cringeworthy.) Gemma, meanwhile, is clearly harboring a secret; but so, it turns out, is Benedict--a secret that has alienated him from his brother, Gemma's father, Charlie. The latter eventually arrives on the scene, and family fireworks ensue. Still, the ending is never seriously in doubt. And though the book is eventful, much of it is plodding; the pace only picks up toward the end. Throughout, there's much talk of gemstones--each chapter heading bears the name of a different stone and a brief description of its potential powers (e.g., Emerald: equilibrium, patience, honesty). Yet despite the attempt to confer a magical aura on the proceedings, the book remains stubbornly earthbound. It does bear some resemblance to the author's first book, but it lacks the charm and genuine eccentricity of the earlier effort.

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April 15, 2017
Patrick follows her hit debut, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (2016), with a second novel that evokes a similarly delightful sentimental and cozy feeling. Jeweler Benedict Stone had been living a quiet, even staid life in a village in the Yorkshire moors, but everything abruptly changes when his wife, Estelle, moves out in search of an emotional break after years of struggling with infertility. Then his American teenage niece, Gemma, his estranged brother's daughter, shows up. She has brought along a collection of gemstones that the Stone brothers' parents collected on their travels and a journal explaining the meaning of each. With an uncanny ability to help people, Gemma encourages Benedict to win Estelle back and create more artistic pieces for his jewelry shop. She also distributes the gems among the villagers, helping them realize their dreams. Yet Gemma is hiding things, too, and Benedict must finally reconcile with his brother to help her. Readers will be charmed by Patrick's quirky characters and sweet premise.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017

Patrick follows up her attention-getting debut, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, with the story of Benedict Stone, whose marriage and jewelry store are clattering downward. Redemption arrives in the form of gutsy teenage niece Gemma. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

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