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...
Faye, the love of his life, is from an upper class family that puts the value of a dollar and breeding on a pedestal that Michael falls short of. When Michael finds himself accused of a terrible crime he learns just how alone he really is. Faced with choices that are near impossible to make, he is guided as well as saved by the wisdom of this older woman that has come into his life.
This is an excellent story filled with inspirational quotes and bits of hard won knowledge from Esther's journal. The sequel is titled "The Carousel" and is a continuation of the lives of these extraordinary characters. Evans is the well-known author of "The Christmas Box" series that also includes, "Timepiece" and "The Letter". 3/4/01
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.