Royal Edge - by Michael Pepper (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The year is 1971. Blocks away from Princeton University and just days after his graduation, a young Michael meets Ella, an elderly woman living alone and in need of a housemate. Michael cannot refuse her offer of free lodging, since he hopes to stay in town and ride out the Vietnam War draft-a war that has already taken his friend's life.

As their friendship grows, Michael learns of Ella's remarkable past as a Russian countess: Ella is a descendent of Czar Alexander II. Michael finds his guide in Ella. Through her magnificent stories about her royal past, Michael gains a new perspective on his own life's direction.

Royal Edge tells the true story of a cherished friendship that explores themes that readers are sure to embrace-choosing how we want to live our lives no matter what our circumstances, accepting that there is so much we may never know about one another, enjoying life in times of uncertainty. The story of their friendship is one of a connection that has served the author throughout his entire life.

Review Quotes

"Michael Pepper's Royal Edge is a searing and profound memoir that touches on so many subjects. . . . I enjoyed Royal Edge immensely and recommend it to anyone who wants a front seat at one of the most tumultuous times in recent American History."

-Anita Abriel, internationally best-selling author of The Light After the War and The Life She Wanted

"The message of the book has really stuck with me. As Michael so beautifully shows in his book, there's so much we don't know about others, and we need to ask the right questions to understand their point of view."

-Jodi Warshaw, founding editor of Lake Union/Amazon Publishing

"I read your work with great interest and found it an eloquent and moving memoir of youthful self-discovery."

-Richard Wortman, James Bryce Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University