Three Keys

“Laura Pritchett gives us an unforgettable portrait of a woman—every woman—who has lived a life for others and needs to start living for herself. Recently widowed Ammalie isn’t entirely sure how she feels about her late husband and so sets off to find him in the places he most loved. Fancying herself a fugitive, not deserving of society, she finds instead a world full of grace and compassion—for herself, her journey, and for all who grieve. This is a beautiful, funny, meditative novel that will bring you to tears with its optimism.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of California Golden and The Swans of Fifth Avenue

“In her mid-fifties, everything about Ammalie’s life changes. She knew the empty nest was coming, but the loss of her job and her husband’s sudden death are brutal, unexpected blows. Reeling, she sets off on a trip she doesn’t quite know how to define. Is it a quest or an escape? A crime spree or a hero’s journey? Pritchett has written a beautiful, age-defying story about discovering your inextricable connection to the whole wide world. This is a book to hold close not only while you read, but as you march into your own battles against the joys and terrors of a life in constant motion.”—Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair

“How could I not adore a book featuring a strong, feisty, fifty-something woman, who despite being widowed, unemployed, and empty-nested, goes out on the road to break into three very different homes she just happens to have the keys to? Audacious and inspiring, Three Keys isn’t just about breaking in, it’s about breaking out, of finding the person you were meant to be all along, despite anyone else’s expectations or insistence that you be invisible. Filled with award-winner Pritchett’s electric prose and love of the natural world, this book is irresistible.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder

“You wouldn’t expect a book about grief, fear, and climate anxiety to be un-put-down-able, and yet: I read the final third in one sitting, eager to follow Ammalie’s adventures to the end.”—Blythe Roberson, author of America the Beautiful?: One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled