Three Keys
Becoming invisible is painful . . . unless you know how to work it.
Ammalie Brinks has just lost the three keys of her life’s purpose—her husband, her job, and her mom-ing role. She’s also mystified to find herself in middle-age—how exactly had that happened? The idea of becoming irrelevant, invisible, of letting her life vaguely slip away—well, the terror of that has her driving through Nebraska with a fork in her hair.
What she does have is this: Three literal keys. Keys to empty homes she plans on breaking into.
She embarks on an international and increasingly problematic journey as she seeks to find a life truly her own. And that middle-age business? As someone breaking the law, she finds there’s real benefit to being invisible, which she uses to her advantage as necessary—until she becomes the striking, bold, and very much manifested self she wants to be.
Laura Pritchett’s seventh novel is a delightful exploration of the very-serious business of living a full and honest life. Filled with heartbreak and humor, she tackles the unavoidable sorrows and joys coming of age (again) with the zest and vigor it deserves.
What Others Are Saying
Newly-widowed Ammalie’s road-trip hijinks are a reader’s delight, but underneath is a journey toward self-discovery as genuine and imperfect as the protagonist herself. Laura Pritchett brings grief and hope together in this hilarious, heartfelt story of one woman’s solo journey through her past, present, and future.
— Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
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? Laura 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, NYT bestselling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder
In “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
Cages come in different forms. Some have four walls and a front door. But what happens when those walls disappear, and you're left with the freedom to find out who you are on your own? That's the question you'll be asking yourself after reading this amazing novel. Three Keys is joyful, insightful, adventurous, and altogether satisfying. I loved it.
—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
In this funny, heartwarming novel, Ammalie Brinks is a woman literally on the brink. As she tries to move away from a painful past and envision a better future, she is both journeywoman and petty criminal who breaks into homes in an effort to regain some of what she has lost. Pritchett's wry wit infuses this poignant story. Think Eat, Pray, Love goes rogue and you have Three Keys.
—Mary Morris, author of Gateway to the Moon
