Three Keys

by Laura Pritchett

Newly widowed and unemployed, a woman in her mid-fifties sets off on a journey of trespassing and adventure throughout the American West and beyond in this witty, thought-provoking novel from a PEN USA Award–winning writer.

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 role as a mom after her son went off to college. 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, saved in a drawer for years. Keys to homes she hopes will be empty, from her and her husband's past--homes she plans on breaking into. And so Ammalie embarks on an international and increasingly complicated journey—criminal behavior turns out to be challenging—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 while she works on becoming the striking, bold, and very much manifested self she wants to be.

Laura Pritchett, winner of the PEN USA Award for Fiction and the Colorado Book Award, offers a delightful exploration of the very serious business of living a full and honest life. Filled with love, heartbreak, and criminal behavior, Three Keys tackles the unavoidable sorrows and joys coming of age (again) with the zest and vigor that it deserves.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Travel, Chick Lit, Book Club, Adventure, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 2024

About the author

Laura Pritchett's seventh novel THREE KEYS is now available. Booklist has this to say: “A dedicated environmentalist and acclaimed nature writer, Pritchett’s keen observations of the world…are wondrous and lyrical, grounding her heroine’s journey in beauty and grace.”

Kirkus has this to say: “Engaging…thought-provoking and insightful. A satisfying examination of one woman’s journey of self-discovery.”


Pritchett is also the author of PLAYING WITH {WILD}FIRE (Torrey House, 2024), THE BLUE HOUR (Counterpoint, 2017), RED LIGHTNING (Counterpoint, 2015) STARS GO BLUE (Counterpoint, 2014), SKY BRIDGE (Milkweed Editions, 2009), and HELL'S BOTTOM, COLORADO (Milkweed Editions, 2001).

Known for championing the complex and contemporary West, giving voice to the working class, and re-writing the “Western,” her books have garnered the PEN USA Award, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, the WILLA, the High Plains Book Award, several Colorado Book Awards, and others.

She’s also the author of one play, two nonfiction books, and editor of three environmental-based anthologies.

She developed and directs the MFA in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University, one of the few in the nation with a focus on environmental and place-based writing.

She earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University.

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, O Magazine, Salon, High Country News, The Millions, Publisher’s Weekly, The Sun, Brain, Child, and many others.

She is also known for her environmental stewardship, particularly in regard to land preservation and river health. You can find out more at her website www.laurapritchett.com or www.makingfriendswithdeath.com

Reviews

[ReneeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not often does a book come along that you can resonate with in such a way that you feel so connected to a character or a story and this book does just that. Ammalie is the perfect character in that she isn't perfect at all. She has secrets, flaws, questionable ideas and a heart of gold. She is quirky and caring and a bit off her rocker at times but that is what makes her so relatable to me. We are all out here trying to make good choices and do the right thing and sometimes we just need to get out of our own way and go do it. I loved going on Ammalie's adventure of self discovery and enjoyed meeting all the people along the way.

I thought this book was heartfelt and adventurous with a whole lot of soul searching. Reading this was a truly enjoyable experience and I am excited to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and Laura Pritchett for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 7/16/24

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story. I loved it. Ammalie is such a well developed character. She is humorous, human, brave, hurting and so much more. As a woman of similar age (ok, a few years older) she just resonated with me and my current view on the state of the world. From climate change to social injustice, to the marginalization of women. Her ability to put herself out there and pursue her adventure was awe inspiring. Having nearly lost my husband to illness last year, I found myself wondering if I could have been so bold and daring as she was. All of the character development was great. So many characters to love. Lulu, Kat, Kit, Rita…Ammalie gave back to the world and humanity in so many unique ways while taking relatively little in the grand scheme of things.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm.

I think this story was supposed to be about a 50+ year-old woman finding herself after the recent death of her husband (who she was planning to divorce)? She takes off on a road trip after his death, during an estrangement with her aimless son, a sister fighting terminal cancer and a best friend also contemplating divorce (Hey, let’s do it together! 🎉 And no, I’m NOT kidding 😳).

She visits three different places (a CO AirBNB from a past happy vacation, a battered vintage travel trailer in AZ that her husband previously stayed in with friends and an artist-in-residence abode in New Zealand where her future husband stayed with his lover on a break from their dating). Thus the adventures begin.

To be honest, I almost gave up on this at least twice for nothing more than my dislike of the main character. I found her whiny, extremely obsessed with sex (just too much) and selfish and I actually had no sympathy/empathy for her at all. Along her “three key” destinations she illegally squatted at all three locations, replaced her car tag, and various other minor illegalities.

It felt to me like the author was using this odd mishmash of a tale as an excuse to politically preach to the reader about various issues. And I was sorely disappointed with the epilogue, which was out of left field and not at all satisfying.

Just not for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Dell for providing the free early arc of Three Keys for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

[☮Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have an e-galley of this book from NetGalley but chose to listen to it on audio after failing to connect on my first attempts at one or two chapters.

So I'd say I liked some parts and found other parts annoying or repetitive. A Midwestern widow in her midlife leaves the three key people in her life to go on a three-part adventure to places her husband had been and had given her keys to. Actually she used the word adventure as an excuse to squat in places she shouldn't have been allowed. Even if the door keys didn't work, she found other ways to get in and do her illegal trespassing. All was conveniently forgiven or excused if she got caught, and on to the next locale. The final destination was New Zealand and my favorite.

The most interesting parts were the various people she meets, while trying very hard to just maintain solitude. She really can't decide what it is she wants from others exactly, and her deceit and indecisiveness wore thin.

[LibraryofJess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great adventure story! A better (fictional) Eat,Pray,Love. Also the writing was so well done. Relatable and beautifully written.
Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book! I feel like it was written for me!

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected and thought provoking book. The overriding theme surrounds searching for your identity when everything you’ve always identified yourself as is gone. The underlying theme is just as important to the story. Helping others whether human, animal, or plant. Letting go of the past to step into an unknown future is what the protagonist does, sometimes with humor, sometimes with trepidation, but always seeking who she will become.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

East five stars. I love Ammalie and her adventurous spirit so much. While I don’t agree with all the choices she made - her intent behind them and her longing to rediscover herself after a traumatic event truly resonated with me. I also loved reading from a middle aged woman’s perspective. I think I would like to reread this later in my life. I will be picking up a hard copy of this one :)

[Yolanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I coul say I liked this book but it just seemed to me to be farfetched and kind of a whine fest . It rambled without really getting to a point . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

[Regina Mastrogiacomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story very inspiring, life changing and amazing. I liked that Ammalie pursued a different path when she found herself alone (her husband died, she loses her job and her son needs to be alone) for the first time and didn't like feeling the way she did and wanted to explore what it would be like to be on her own. It was such an adventure to watch her be in a different place then what she was use too and to see how capable she was when survival for her and others mattered. I like she put herself out there when all she wanted to do was hide and I loved how she kept trying to make it better not only for herself but others also. Ammalie, did so many wonderful things for other in this story that it was truly inspiring. She helps an abandon dog, put survival kits in the desert after having a problem herself and helping people survive in a snow storm. She was brilliant and yet scared at the same time. She travels to New Zealand to experience what her husband felt when he lived there and not only did she find what she really want to do, but when she had a medical emergency she found strangers that helped her because she had help others beforehand.
I found Ammalie travel technique unique and would have never done what she did but it was intriguing and made for a more exciting tale. I found all the characters she meets in her travel amazing and special and Ammalie made them feel special too. She never judged them or pushed them away but was always thinking what she could do to make their lives better.
Fantastic story.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for an advance copy of this amazing journey.

[Clair · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am kind of aghast. Unfortunately for me this was incredibly tedious and I am not sure I have anything positive or constructive to report. I could not get through more than a few pages sometimes without having to stop and audibly express frustration either to the nearest human or animal (I have two children and four pets that follow me around me around, I am never alone). Needless to say they did not get it. I did not get it. But, POSITIVE SPIN I am kind of proud of myself for finishing it.

Everything was given a name, including inanimate objects and bodily functions. So many rhetorical questions and rehashing of events. Things were internally inconsistent. I really couldn't tell how long this person was in any given place or what the actual budget was here for these adventures. One minute she's begging people to wash dishes in exchange for a meal and the next she's ringing up craft supplies for her non-hobby or leaving wads of cash for misunderstood criminals. And my lord was this woman thirsty for anything or anyone who looked her way, sometimes doing a complete 180 in a subsequent paragraph.

I wish it was autobiographical so I could be like wow what a story but this is fiction and I do not know why this was written. The ending was downright painful to experience. And I have yet to encounter a book that needed an epilogue less than this one.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review and I withhold my thanks at this time.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like the right book at the right time. 💚💛🩵

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful book. A real and metaphorical journey. The title ties in nicely with the real plot. Enjoyed getting to know the protagonist and travel descriptions.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ammalie feels lost. Her husband is dead, her son dropped out of college, and she lost her job and is living in her car. Now she drives to New Mexico and rescues an abused dog named Lady. Finding an abandoned trailer, she lives there for a while and meets fellow squatter, Kit. Later she has a medical emergency and her thoughts go to Levi, a handsome man who had a crush on her when she was waitressing. At this point it's really depressing until several things help her understand she has had three "keys" in life: her husband, her job, and her role as a mother. It's been billed as a second "coming of age" novel and it's every bit as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Stroop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun! Full of surprises, adventure, and self-discovery. The writing is lovely.

Ammalie feels like she is losing it. Her husband died a year and a half ago, her sister is sick, her son isn’t speaking to her. To get things back on track, Ammalie decides to go on an extended trip and may or may not be engaging in some (well-intentioned!?) breaking and entering. Follow along as Ammalie sees new places, meets new people, and finds out more about herself and what she is capable of.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

[Elizabeth O'Keefe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really thought this book would be something I would love (travel, finding yourself, you know the whole shebang). But this really fell flat for me.

I could not connect to Ammalie (FMC), and the whole story seemed a bit out there. So many tangents, secrets (like who doesn't tell their best friend, oh hey I didn't actually rent this place, I am going to use keys I have and hope they work from way back when?). There was a lot of negative self talking, which is odd for her being in her 50s.

This story was just not it for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell Publishing for my E-ARC.

[Jessica Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely beautiful novel. I find it amazing how books can find you at the perfect time.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those unexpected books where there's never a dull moment.

Ammalie was a one-of-a-kind middle-aged woman who could be loving one minute and disrespectful the next which followed the mixed relationship she had with her late husband, Vincent. She was the wife that did everything right but also had a feeling of being alone, irritated and resentful.

A year or so after he died of a heart attack with her son away in college, Ammalie wanted to prove to herself that she was strong and could handle a certain type of independence. She found three keys from trips her husband took years ago and decided to take these to unlock adventures that would give her closure in their life together.

She went from the high-paced, busy city of Chicago to low-traveled areas of the mountains, desert and ocean and opened up places with the keys that gave her a new perspective to her life. She met friendly folks along the way and did some mischievous things like minor acts of theft, break-ins and lies.

Nevertheless, I found the book to be fascinating and frustrating with this character. One minute, I liked her; the next minute, I didn’t. Ammalie acted like she was poor in order to get what she wanted but it wasn’t always the case as shown in her travels. She made up stories that weren’t true and justified taking things. However, it was an easy fictitious book to read with the idea of a woman who had lost her husband and needed to find herself.

The book also included parts on climate change and how the earth needs great care. Because of this book, I ordered water purification tablets and thought about buying another first aid kit for the car. There were some key issues that made me think about in this story about survival and what is good for the planet.

My thanks to Dell and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date on July 16, 2024.

[Rhiannon Hacking · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fortified with adventure. The way not to get depressed about getting older is to remain a curious learner. Education is fortification.”

Ammalie is going through I guess what you would call a midlife crisis. Her husband has suddenly died, she no longer has a job, her son won’t speak to her and her best friend who was supposed to go adventure with her decides to focus on rekindling her marriage. She is alone and has to start all over. As she cross countries and travels to three different cabins, she comes across many interesting people and experiences she never expected, plus secrets kept from her former husband.

My favorite part of the book was all the side characters that Ammalie encounters. The author did a great job bringing them to life. I love the way she makes its feel as though you are along side the main characters journey.
However, If I can’t find a connection to the main character it’s hard for me to get into the book and while I couldn’t relate to Ammalie due to the stage of life she was in there were many aspects to her journey starting all over that I could take away. So many good quotes in this book!

“You can’t control emotions. But also, not a good idea to let them control you. That’s what maturity teaches you.”

“If Vincent’s death taught her anything, it was that death did not wait around for you to get it together. Life was not what happened in your daydreams. Life was what happened in your life.”

[Marissa Zappone · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

I was nervous going into this book because the main protagonist is a middle-aged widow and, being half her age and not a widow, I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to connect with her or enjoy her journey. Boy was I wrong!! I absolutely loved Ammalie and her story! Laura Pritchett’s love for nature and preserving our planet was so evident in every word and I craved being in a cabin miles from people while reading this book.

Ammalie has recently lost her husband, her son isn’t talking to her, her sister is battling cancer and their relationship has frayed, and she just lost her job, so this is a great time to head out on an adventure of self-discovery! I found her journey so hilarious and beautiful and bittersweet!

She meets so many beautifully unique humans (and animals) along the way that mold her into a whole new Ammalie. An Ammalie that has new sexual encounters, an Ammalie that is passionate about helping those who are forgotten or in hiding, an Ammalie that enjoys making jewelry, an Ammalie that saved lives, and the list could go on.

My only warning to future interested readers is that this book gets a little hippy dippy. I LOVED this aspect, but I know I have people in my life that wouldn’t enjoy it as much, so I know I won’t recommend it to everyone.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ammalie is a fifty something woman who was recently widowed by one of the least selfless men around. She spent her adult life working as a waitress because she really enjoyed it. Vincent, her late husband, although stingy with himself, did share tales of his adventures with her after he returned home. This novel tells of the adventures Ammalie went on with three keys she took from his belongings. These adventures took place in the Western US and New Zealand. They are wonderful. Thanks to Net Galley and Dell for an ARC for an honest review.

[Asa Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book! Was definitely inspired by the main character and her adventurousness. The only problem I had was that a lot of things were spelled out/said/ explained through dialogue or words when they could have been more subtly implied. Overall the detail and quirkiness of this book won me over though!!

[Sara Kaner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this book. Full of adventure, wonderful snapshots of nature, and platonic/romantic love. I love the theme explored that our lives our never set in stone, and we always have the ability to make sweeping changes to discover our true selves 🤍

[Danis Miller-Bucholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a woman in her 50s, this novel was an interesting exploration of what it means to be a middle aged woman on a physical and psychological journey of rediscovering yourself. The protagonist is newly widowed and also has sometimes complicated relationships with her young adult son and her sister. She has 3 keys to homes that were significant in some way for her husband, and suspecting these homes will be empty, she chooses to take a road trip (and a plane trip at one point) to visit each home, let herself in, and process her feelings. This novel explores her journey and includes humor and grace as the reader follows the main character, Ammalie, and her adventures. Ammalie is processing how she feels to suddenly find herself in middle age, how she feels guilty about her husband's death and how she felt about their relationship over a number of years. There are interesting supporting characters and by the end of the novel the reader is able to see how Ammalie has grown stronger and more sure of herself and how she wants to live the rest of her life. I haven't read anything else by this author but enjoyed this novel.

[Ty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
This is definitely someone’s book, but it’s not a teenagers. Definitely not. It was the opposite of a coming of age. It was a coming of re-embracing childlike adventure, which was actually a very sweet and wholesome topic. But it just wasn’t a topic that resonated with me 😆. Despite this being the case for me, I enjoyed the escapism of it. It made me excited for summer and camping. The writing was very specific and sweet. Overall a good book. Just not for me.

[Amanda Nikhol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it honestly.

[PATCHES · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, incredibly long and often repetitive but charming nonetheless

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of the year so far! Ammalie is a woman in her 50s who has lost three “keys” in her life. Her husband died suddenly a year prior, her son has gone off to college and she has lost her job of 20 years when the restaurant where she has worked as a waitress closes because of a fire. Ammalie has three literal keys in her possession that represent a place that she traveled to with her husband and two places that he went to alone but had significant meaning for him. Even though Ammalie was considering divorce when her husband died, she decides to travel alone and use the keys to “break in” to the various accommodations not only to experience the places important to her husband but more as an attempt to find herself and find some balance in her “pear-shaped” life. Her adventures are extraordinary and the people that she meets along the way have huge impacts on her. But she also clings to the three “keys” in her life who provide stability - her friend, Mari, her sister, Apricot and her son, Powell.
This book is like nothing I have ever read and I loved it! The author is so creative in telling this unusual story. I found that I wanted to read it slowly to catch every significance in Ammalie’s private musings as well as her interactions with the unusual and fascinating cast of characters. There were so many significant themes incorporated into the story such as aging, the invisibility of middle-aged women, different types of friendships and romantic relationships, the effects of climate change and the plight of undocumented immigrants among others. So much packed into one book that isn’t very long but done so well! On a personal note, I loved that Ammalie’s former employer was a restaurant called Avogadro’s Number - I am familiar with a restaurant by this name in Fort Collins, Colorado but maybe there is one of the same name in Chicago? I really like these little pearls. I highly recommend this book!

[Leah Cherokee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ammalie Brinks is out to sea; not literally of course, but figuratively as a new widow in her mid-fifties trying to navigate the now unfamiliar waters of life. Her "three keys" are gone--her husband Vincent, a job she loved, and the centrality of motherhood since her son moved out of the house. And while she may have lost those keys, she does still have three physical keys in a drawer at home, in fact. Three keys to three homes across the globe that she and Vincent shared in one way or another, years and year ago.

So with far too little tethering her to now, Ammalie sets off with her three keys, her trusty Subaru affectionately nicknamed Grey Goose, and a half-formed, somewhat-there mission of reliving the past in the hopes of finding hope for the future.

And just like that, "Three Keys," readers, is the unsuspecting triumph of the year thus far. This is the story of a women navigating the startling void that middle age has left her with: widowhood, an empty nest, and that degree of invisibility that magically descends on women the moment their youth departs them. So much more than that still, this is the story--the charming, magical, laugh out loud over and over type story--of a woman discovering what she wants to do with her one and precious life, even after she thought life was over.

An unassuming, immensely powerful gift of a read, "Three Keys" is further testament to the fact that some of the very best stories really are about finding ourselves, especially in the most unlikely of places.

*Many thanks to NetGalley & Random House for my advanced review copy!*

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful, very smart, propulsive novel about love, grief, the natural world, and finding one's way in midlife.

The section in New Zealand was an especial favorite, but I loved every part of this vibrant and generous novel.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time rating this book. I enjoyed some parts, and found myself rolling my eyes at others.

It's about a recently widowed woman who handles her mid-life crisis by breaking and entering into places that meant something to her and/or her husband in the past. (!?!)

I could relate to the literal journey of self-discovery the main character goes on, because I think all women of a certain age would like to do that. I also like how she pushed back against society's tendency to make women of a certain age feel "invisible,” even using it to her advantage at times.

But there were also lots of things she did that just plain annoyed me: her justifications for squatting in empty houses; her self-absorption (we spend a lot of time in her head as she ruminates about stuff); her propensity to lie at some times and then give TMI at others; her "eco-grief"; her tendency to give names to inanimate objects, which got kind of confusing to keep track of.

But all in all, she was so sincere in her goofiness that I just chalked it up to "different strokes for different folks."

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.