By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
In 1971, just after graduating from Princeton, Michael meets Ella, an elderly woman seeking a housemate, and accepts her offer while he seeks to avoid the Vietnam War draft. As their friendship deepens, Ella shares magnificent stories of her royal past, offering Michael a new perspective on life.
So goes, “Royal Edge” by Michael Pepper.
The book will interest readers both young and old as it explores resilience, understanding and finding joy in uncertain times.
“There is a remarkable relationship between Ella, who is at the end of her life and young Michael at the beginning of his,” Pepper said. “And yet when asked about an intended audience, that would be young people on their journey into adulthood as they are provided inspirational guidance by taking in Ella.”
Inspiration for his book came during long hikes with his three young daughters, where Pepper shared stories about his time with Ella to help distract them from the challenges of the trail.
It was important for Pepper to share what he learned from Ella with a wider audience.
“There was a time when I realized I had carried and utilized advice I learned from Ella throughout my life, notwithstanding that my time with her took place 50 years ago, I chose to create the book to share what I had learned from Ella,” Pepper said. “And I chose to do it in an artful way as so much of our time together included art and music and poetry and literature and wonderful food and wine and simply open conversation.”
Pepper hopes readers find great value in the book, especially young people who embrace the wisdom and life experiences shared by their elders
“To many people, Ella would simply be seen as an aging person and yet Michael finds her to be so much more than that, so much so that her messages still resonate within the writer,” Pepper said. “Although Ella loses her formal royalty during the revolution, she goes on to create a royal life for herself and those around her.”
In addition to being an author, Pepper enjoys the art of designing, developing and constructing tall buildings. He is the principal of Pepper Development Services.
Pepper is based in Lake Forest in Orange County. For more information about the author and his work visit michaelpepper.net.
“Royal Edge” is available for $16.92 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.
