Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Locket (The Locket, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Locket (The Locket Trilogy #1)

by Richard Paul Evans

4.1 · Rating Details · 9,945 Ratings · 329 Reviews

After the death of his mother, Michael Keddington finds employment at the Arcadia nursing home where he befriends Esther, a reclusive but beautiful elderly woman who lives in mourning for her youth and lost love.
Michael faces his own challenges when he loses his greatest love, Faye. When Michael is falsely accused of abusing one of the Arcadia's residents, he learns impo ...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published January 1st 2000 by Pocket Books (first published 1998)

More Details... edit details

Get a copy:

Or buy for

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Locket, please sign up.

Recent Questions

what is the second book called?

See 1 question about The Locket…

Lists with This Book

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Books by Utah Authors

179th out of 734 books — 384 voters

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot

Authors last name E

169th out of 180 books — 6 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30)

filter | sort: default (?) | Rating Details

Dec 23, 2008 Katie W rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

Another thing I love about Richard Paul Evan's books is how reading them lets you put on someone else's shoes and dive into their story--for the duration of the book, I see things from the narrator's perspective and feel like I am that person--their hopes, fears, dreams, fate are my own and I care deeply about how the story turns out. It was cool how Michael's friendship with Esther grew and how much he learned from her.

This book made me think about how God is at work in my life and how God use ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2013 Michael rated it it was amazing

Shelves: trilogies

Michael Keddington took care of his ill mother for most of his life. Although that he never complained about tending to her needs, apart of him wishes that he had the life that he always imagined. Raised by a single mother, he never was close to his father who was a raging alcoholic. After the death of his mother, Michael is alone reminiscing about what he could have had if he chose a different route in life. The one thing that brings Michael immediate joy is his girlfriend Faye, who means more Michael Keddington took care of his ill mother for most of his life. Although that he never complained about tending to her needs, apart of him wishes that he had the life that he always imagined. Raised by a single mother, he never was close to his father who was a raging alcoholic. After the death of his mother, Michael is alone reminiscing about what he could have had if he chose a different route in life. The one thing that brings Michael immediate joy is his girlfriend Faye, who means more to him than anything in the world. Their backgrounds differ when it comes to wealth and values, a curse to Faye's Father. While Faye does not question the love she has for Michael, she does wonder if her Father will ever accept Michael as a man that can take care of her like he can. Faye and her two sisters has lived in the shadow of their father for years who spoils them with wealth and promotes power and prestige.

At first when Michael was hired to work at the hospital, he had regrets. For one, he is highly intelligent and his resume is far above working at a dump but he chooses to appease the boss who is desperate in need of a new employee. Michael soon falls in love with his job and tending to sickly patients diagnosed with various of diseases. In addition, Ester a blind woman with dementia changes his life forever when she opens us about her past life with a man name Thomas. Ester and Michael bond over love, regret & lost as both of their life takes a turn for the worst.

Michael is accused of a crime that will not leave him in prison but that will cause him to forsake Faye who starts to distance herself from him. In the midst of all the drama and chaos, love is the only thing that will keep Michael sane from all the cares in his life.

This is by far the best novel I have read all year. The vocabulary was so rich and profuse that often I had to look up the words to make sure that I knew what the author was implying. Not to mention how the characters stayed with me to the very last page.

I will be reading more novels by Evans, he is an amazing storyteller.
...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2014 Lora rated it really liked it

A nice little Veteran's Day read. Loved the message that sometimes relationships are best forged through hard times together instead of once your life is in order. "I see couples who have built their lives together, struggling through the hard times. Some say it's the best years of their lives. I want that. I don't want some by-the-book life with neatly penned entrances like it were a Broadway production. I want to live it. For better or worse." (pg. 86). "I think it's after the honeymoon that t ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 16, 2015 Susan rated it liked it

Shelves: christian-theme, 2011-reads, okolona-book-club

I didn’t want to like this book. I was sure it was going to fit into my “sappy – happy – crappy” category. Okay, it is a little sappy, a little happy, but not at all crappy. I ended up liking it a lot. Sure, it is a bit of a fluff and really fast (I mean really fast) reading. But, it made me cry. I guess I’m a sucker for stories about old people, which this is. The protagonist is a young man who recently lost his mother to cancer. He takes a job at a nursing home and ends up being charged with m ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2015 Dad rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

An excellent book. This is the 15th book by Richard Paul Evans that I have read in the past year. He did an excellent job of portraying Michael Keddington's character and personality. My favorite part was to find that the defense (Michael's lawyer) had prepared some surprises for the trial and the way the author unveiled them was a big surprise. This ran very well from start to finish. I liked how it turned out. Esther lost her second chance in life but helped Michael get his. There are allusion ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2015 Frank rated it really liked it

Good book. I like reading his stuff.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2015 Paula Dembeck rated it liked it

This is the first book of a trilogy which was followed by “The Looking Glass” and ‘The Carousel”. Like some others, when I first picked it up I thought it might be too sentimental and sappy, but I was quietly surprised.
Michael Keddington is a young man who has just watched his dead mother being removed from her home. He had cared for her for two years as she slowly died from cancer and he had to leave his job and university to do this. But there was never any question in his mind that this is wh This is the first book of a trilogy which was followed by “The Looking Glass” and ‘The Carousel”. Like some others, when I first picked it up I thought it might be too sentimental and sappy, but I was quietly surprised.
Michael Keddington is a young man who has just watched his dead mother being removed from her home. He had cared for her for two years as she slowly died from cancer and he had to leave his job and university to do this. But there was never any question in his mind that this is what he must do. There is an alcoholic dead father in his past and he is now travelling on the road to begin the rest of his life.
Saddled with a pile of debt from his mother’s medical bills and the fact that he had not been able to work for six months, he takes a job at the Arcadia Nursing Home. The pay is not great, but he enjoys the work and it does not take him long to complete his training. He quickly establishes relationships with the residents who like him and appreciate his kind approach. In particular, Michael has forged a friendship with Esther Huish, a blind widow who keeps much to herself and rarely socializes with the other residents. She ultimately shares the story of her past and a love she lost and regretted the rest of her life.

When he was working as a stock boy in a grocery store, Michael met Faye, a girl from an affluent background, very different from his own. They have established a warm relationship, enjoy each other’s company and care deeply for each other. Faye is not disturbed by the differences in their backgrounds, but it is an issue of concern for Michael. When Faye is accepted at medical school and leaves for Utah, she wishes long and hard for a proposal from Michael at Christmas. But he, realizing he can never give her the life to which she is accustomed, holds back. Her Father, a successful neurosurgeon, has also been trying hard to break up the relationship. He feels that Michael falls far below the standard he wants for his beautiful and intelligent daughter.

While Faye is away at school, Michael is falsely accused of abusing an elderly resident and criminal charges are laid. The court scenes that result from these charges are excellent.

Evans draws characters with whom we empathize (Michael and Esther), as well as hate (Kate’s Father). In Michael she paints a picture of a man whose character was forged by a difficult relationship with his Father. Michael is a man with a deep understanding of the difference between right and wrong and who is determined not to take any shortcuts in his life.

This is a story about second chances, which we may all get, but not all will recognize.

The best part of the book for me was the excerpts from Esther’s diary which begin each chapter. They provide much food for thought.
The entire book was a surprise. I enjoyed it.

...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 16, 2016 Samantha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this story. First of all, I found myself stopping almost every other page to jot down quotes I want to share, which is a great sign of a beautiful story. Secondly, in addition to being a well thought out set of parallel love stories, there is still an unexpected conflict halfway through. This review will state I finished the book over the course of three days, but I read the first 25% slowly and finished off the remaining 75% in one night. I cried for the final two chapters and finished ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 31, 2014 Loraine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, challenges-2014

SUMMARY: After the death of his mother, Michael Keddington finds employment at the Arcadia nursing home where he befriends Esther, a reclusive but beautiful elderly woman who lives in mourning for her youth and lost love.
Michael faces his own challenges when he loses his greatest love, Faye. When Michael is falsely accused of abusing one of the Arcadia's residents, he learns important lessons about faith and forgiveness from Ester -- and her gift to him of a locket, once symbolic of one person's SUMMARY: After the death of his mother, Michael Keddington finds employment at the Arcadia nursing home where he befriends Esther, a reclusive but beautiful elderly woman who lives in mourning for her youth and lost love.
Michael faces his own challenges when he loses his greatest love, Faye. When Michael is falsely accused of abusing one of the Arcadia's residents, he learns important lessons about faith and forgiveness from Ester -- and her gift to him of a locket, once symbolic of one person's missed opportuninites, becomes another's second chance.

REVIEW: A story of second chances, once again Richard Paul Evans has penned a story filled with tenderness, lessons, and love. A truly believable story with realistic characters filled with all the good and bad of everyday people. The excerpts from Esther's diary were thought provoking and inspirational and led into the events of each chapter. Filled with inspiration and traditional values the story keeps your attention throughout.

Esther, Michael and Faye each touched my heart in a different way. Esther, looking back on her life, found the son she had lost and imparted her wisdom to Michael as he broke through her outer shell. Michael had an inbred strength that developed from all the roughness of his childhood and youth yet was still a gentle, caring young man who realized the value of the most important thing he had - his name. Faye, in the midst of all her wealth and success and parents who would determine her path in life, found the strength to live for the better things in life.

This was a heartwarming book and I am eager to read the next in the Locket trilogy.

FAVORITE QUOTES: Once again so many great ones I had to pick and choose!
"There are those who, in the same breat, pray for the poor and for the blessing of never encoutering them."

"There are those who go about their lives sharpening their egos on the grindstone of others' failures."

"Rich company, like rich food, is often a cause of indigestion."

"I believe that it's after the honeymoon ends that true love begins. It's in the hard times that the greater virtues of love reveal themselves"

"My father worships money as the God that delivers us from our problems. As good a man as he is, he judges people, including himself, by their account balances."

"You must forgive him if you are ever to be free of him. We are chained to that which we do not forgive...Anyone can forgive if they will may the decision to. It may not come all at once, as resentment is a habit and must be coaxed from the heart. But with time it will come. You must pray for it." ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2012 Heather rated it liked it

This book has been on my bookshelf since I lived in Des Moines (I must have purchased it between 1998-2000), but I have no recollection buying it.

I thought it would be an overly sentimental sappy chick lit book and have avoided reading it. I put it on my GoodReads list "to read" simply to remind myself to read it and get it off my shelf.

I did and it was surprisingly interesting. The main character, Michael Keddington is dealing with the recent death of his mother, after taking care of her (he' ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Mickey rated it really liked it

Richard Paul Evans never fails to disappoint! After having read several of his books, I picked this one up, not knowing it was Book 1 of a trilogy. I will definitely be looking for "The Looking Glass," Number 2. He says all of his books are love stories, but I found the most heart-warming parts of this book to be the love story between Michael and Esther, an elderly resident of the nursing home where Michael works. Their growing relationship, and Esther's declining reluctance to tell him of her ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2008 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian-fiction

I typically pick more uplifting books than this. I suppose I found the courage to read The Locket because I watched the hallmark movie based on this book a few years ago and enjoyed it. While there is death and heartache in this story, love and goodness triumph in the end. I smiled and cried pretty much on and off throughout the book, which didn't take too long to complete - I was hooked from pretty early on. Evans is a discriptive author and does a nice job of pulling one into the story and mak ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 03, 2015 Jan rated it really liked it

The Locket is about a young man, Michael, who has spent the last several years caring for his mother until her death. Needing a job he is hired by a care facility where he meets a woman who teaches him about the tragedy of lost love. His girlfriend's father thinks he is white trash, so we see an event that shows what Michael is made of.

Evans has a very readable formula for writing. You immediately get engrossed in his characters and he writes with a strong emotional edge. His use of vocabulary i ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2015 Mary rated it really liked it

Richard Paul Evans might seem sentimental to some, I view his novels as optimistic, faithful to the good in humankind. This one featured a young man who is falsely accused of a crime against an elderly man he was taking care of in a nursing home. Bittersweet, what the accuser did to hurt a guy who rejected her was just plain sad.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 04, 2016 Nolan rated it really liked it

Shelves: nls-audio

Faye Murrow and Michael Keddington met while he was working at a meat market and she came in with some of her boisterous frat friends. Their worlds couldn’t have been more different. He grew up constantly broke and poor; she grew up wanting or needing nothing. But something about him attracted her; something about her made him realize that whatever he felt had nothing to do with her family money and everything to do with the ways in which she filled the dark places in his soul simply by being he Faye Murrow and Michael Keddington met while he was working at a meat market and she came in with some of her boisterous frat friends. Their worlds couldn’t have been more different. He grew up constantly broke and poor; she grew up wanting or needing nothing. But something about him attracted her; something about her made him realize that whatever he felt had nothing to do with her family money and everything to do with the ways in which she filled the dark places in his soul simply by being herself. His mom is dying; Faye’s off to Hopkins in Baltimore soon. The romance can’t last, and yet somehow it does.

He had to leave the market job because the demands of his ill and dying mom were increasing. So were her medical bills. After her death, Michael applies for and gets a job as a CNA at a nursing home in Ogden, Utah. It’s not great money, but it pays the bills. The residents come to like him, and he them. But particularly impressive to him is Esther Huish. She has lost most of her sight, and she’s picky regarding her walking companions.

As Michael finds a way into her heart and she his, the two talk of love unrequited and of second chances and redemption. Esther knows whereof she speaks. She once had the love of a young soldier, but because she lacked the courage to admit that love and bring it to fruition, life happened to both of them, and the opportunities they might have had never were.

Esther is good for Michael, since he and Faye are struggling to bridge the gap in their socioeconomic circumstances. Her dad hates him and has threatened to cut off all help to her if she stays with him. Believing that it’s in her best interest to end the relationship, Michael does. But unthinkably, he is charged with the beating murder of one of the residents, and he needs Faye’s love and support more than ever.

Evans's writing just somehow resonates with me on every level it can. This book worked in so many ways. The quotes from the aging Esther’s diary at the beginning of each chapter are both pithy and thought provoking. The relationship between Michael and Esther is touching and anything but artificial. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 07, 2015 Tamdaqueenhotmail.com added it

An easy read. The author can suck you into his story with his eloquent way of writing.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2015 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015

After the death of his mother, Michael finds work at a senior home. He did not have the best upbringing but has fallen in love with a rich guy's daughter. Michael is accused of beating one of the residents at the home where he works but has also where he befriended an old lady named Esther. Really enjoyed this easy read.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 20, 2015 Cathie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great book!!! A little slow sometimes, but worth sticking with it!!

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2015 Diana rated it it was amazing

Love Paul Richard Evans. Very inspirational.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 06, 2008 Allison rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2010 Audrey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This is a wonderful book, it's a sad, lovely story about second chances and especially forgiveness. This is the first book I've ever read by this author and I will be looking for other books by him.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2010 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Read this book in literally two days. Was sobbing at the end. Great book.. very touching and certainly worth the read! If you read Notebook and like it.. give this one a chance.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 25, 2008 Kimberly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008-reads

A bit slow at the beginning as some of his book are..but once I got into it, it was a page turner. Even had me crying which is RARE when reading a book. Really good book!! :)

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 11, 2015 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Love all of his books!

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2015 Amy rated it it was amazing

Excellent book! I read this in one day.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Kimmee rated it it was amazing

I really liked it alot. It is the type of book that makes you smile and cry all in one. It is really good. i enjoyed it alot.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2015 Phyllis Wright rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

And I smile through happy tears.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2011 Lesley rated it really liked it

This was a good one...a bit of a tear-jerker, but a great love story and story of lessons learned.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2013 Angela rated it really liked it

His books are all page turnovers. They all will keep you up at night not wanting to stop.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 29, 2009 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Why do I always cry when I read his books. Loved this one.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Do you think Faye would have stayed with Michael he was proven to be guilty?	1	9	Sep 18, 2013 06:53AM

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

Fiction

98 users

Romance

47 users

Holiday > Christmas

20 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

16 users

Adult Fiction

14 users

Christian Fiction

10 users

Adult

8 users

Holiday

8 users

Contemporary

8 users

Inspirational

7 users

See top shelves…

About Richard Paul Evans

When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written ele ...more

More about Richard Paul Evans...

Other Books in the Series

The Locket Trilogy (3 books)

Books by Richard Paul Evans

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey, #1)

The Christmas Box (The Christmas Box, #1)

More…

Share This Book

+ Share on your website

Trivia About Il medaglione

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Locket

“We are chained to that which we do not forgive” — 92 likes

“That which we expect of life is indeed all that it ever can be.” — 31 likes

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Locket
avg rating	preview: The Locket Goodreads rating: 4.10 (9945 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232268.The_Locket?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1437616427l/232268.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232268.The_Locket?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Locket by Richard Paul Evans[/url]

See a Problem?

Preview — The Locket by Richard Paul Evans

The Locket (The Locket Trilogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Recent Questions

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

About Richard Paul Evans

Other Books in the Series

Books by Richard Paul Evans

Share This Book

Share on your website

Trivia About Il medaglione

Quotes from The Locket