Publication Date: October 15, 2024
An unforgettable novel that captures the power of longing, loss, and love, The Time Keepers transports us from 1979 suburban New York to war-torn Vietnam, revealing that sometimes the most unexpected friendships can save us.
Two women from different worlds, Grace and Anh, are indelibly changed when a runaway boy is found on a street in their small Long Island town. Brought together by the love of this child displaced by war, the women find friendship and healing from their own painful pasts when their lives intersect with a mysterious wounded Vietnam vet. The vet, Jack, works at the Golden Hours, a watch store that mends timepieces—and might even mend damaged souls.
Richman interweaves the journeys of these wonderfully diverse characters who will grip, fill, and break your heart—only to bring them together with the care and precision of an expert watchmaker, one piece at a time. Inspired by the true story of a Vietnamese refugee who entrusted the dramatic account of her escape from Vietnam to the author, and also that of a wounded veteran, Richman sheds light on those whose lives were forever impacted by the devastation of that war.
Three people wrestling with loss find themselves drawn together in a small community linked by a watch repair store.
Author Alyson Richman takes readers back to the late 1970s where the impacts of the Vietnam War are evident. The Time Keepers uses characters with different problems to illustrate resilience.
Grace, an Irish immigrant whose childhood tragedy still haunts her as she tends to her own family, feels a sense of connection to a young Vietnamese boy who, along with his aunt, Anh, are seeking refuge in the United States.
Although they made it to the U.S., Anh struggles with grief over lost loved ones and the adjustment to a new place with an unfamiliar language.
Meanwhile, living above the watch repair store is a disfigured Vietnam War veteran. Now working in the store owned by Grace’s family, he yearns for the love he lost after his injury.
Together, all three characters learn the importance of friendship and the restorative power of sharing burdens with others. This powerful story explores personal loss through different perspectives.
The Time Keepers illustrates the sacrifices made by the characters and the healing necessary to set them free.
Alyson Richman graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in art history and Japanese studies. She is an accomplished painter and her novels combine her deep love of art, historical research, and travel. Alyson’s novels have been published in 25 languages and have reached the bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two children, where she is currently at work on her next novel.
