THREE KEYS

A woman in her mid-50s embarks on a solo adventure and finds herself in the process.

When Ammalie Brinks’ husband, Vincent, died, they had only recently become empty nesters. This new loss was too soon, and Ammalie worries that if she had acted faster when he had the stroke, if she had known what to do, perhaps he wouldn’t have died. Instead, she’s been left on her own. Her son, Powell, has asked for space while he processes his father’s death; her closest friend, Mari, is confronting marriage troubles; and her sister, Apricot, is struggling with her health. With no one holding her back, Ammalie sets off on her own, telling no one where exactly she’s going. She begins a journey to visit three specific locations, many thousands of miles apart, using old keys to gain entry. To reach these places—one she visited with Vincent and two he visited without her—she sleeps in her car, eats canned goods from the container, and often forgoes indoor plumbing. She hopes the trip will reveal more to her about Vincent, but as she runs into challenges, the person she ends up learning about is herself. Told in a close third person, the book follows Ammalie as she meets exciting people as well as wobbles off-kilter from too much time alone, talking to her belongings and failing to adequately care for her physical needs. The author deftly depicts the escalating loneliness and fear Ammalie feels as hours on her own accumulate. Because of the solo nature of her journey, a large chunk of the book takes place inside Ammalie’s head, which does slow things down. Even so, the author’s nuanced descriptions of Ammalie’s determination, joy, and trepidation as she meets people, as well as the lessons she takes away from each of the encounters, are engaging enough to get you through the slower portions. The book examines weighty topics like grief, marriage struggles, and growing older in a manner that is thought-provoking and insightful.

A satisfying examination of one woman’s journey of self-discovery.