The Key to Everything

by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Carver County Library paperback 332 pages

Published: 2020

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Even though I got the book a week before book club, I only started reading it the day before . . . and had 70 pages left when I went to the discussion. Enjoyable book, pretty lightweight read. Set shortly after WWII, this is 15 y.o. Peyton Cabot's story. He is almost too wonderful to be true. Thoughtful, kind, respectful, insightful . . . he was an unusual protagonist - nearly flawless!

One of my favorite threads in the story involved Peyton's interactions with young Bonnie and Jasper. When they initially meet in the hospital, this conversation melted my heart.

"I'm sorry - am I being nosy?" (Peyton)

"It's okay," Bonnie said, smiling at him. "I think you got a good heart."

"How can you tell?"

"Because when people's got black hearts, it shows in their eyes. There ain't no light in 'em cause there ain't no light inside. You got lots o' light."

Honestly, I've met people whose eyes gave me the chills. A little later, they have another moment that also struck me.

"It's not a handout," Peyton said. "It's a thank-you for keeping me comp'ny. I woulda had to eat all by myself if you and Jasper hadn't come along. Sure is lonesome to eat by yourself."

"It sure it." She stared solemnly at Peyton. "How come you done all this for us?"

He thought about it for a second. "Because everybody oughta help everybody else when they can. You'd help me if I needed it, wouldn't you?"

Bonnie slowly nodded. "I sure would. Things just ain't never been where I could help nobody."

"You're helping your mama right now by takin' care o' Jasper. And you helped Jasper when you asked me to share my pie."

"I guess I did," Bonnie said with a big grin. (Pgs 62-63)

Aunt Gert was one of my absolute favorite characters in this book! Her wisdom, sense of humor, and kindness were radiant. When she and Peyton are talking about the truth of his grandparents, her comments on Cajuns made me smile.

"You are one hundred percent one o' the Cabots. You just don't have any o' that crazy Kelly blood from Celia's side o' the family, which is all to the good, if you want my opinion. And somewhere in Louisiana, you've got some family you never even met. Prob'ly Cajun. You feel particularly musical all of a sudden?"

Peyton laughed and kicked off his sneakers so he could shove his feet into the cool sand like Aunt Gert. "No, ma'am." 

"Well, that's too bad. Maybe we'll find out you can cook. Louisiana people can cook like nobody's business." (pg. 97)

Peyton meets so many interesting people on his bike ride to Key West. When he's having lemonade with Matilda, she makes a sweet observation.

"You been loved, Peyton. I can tell. It just shows in a person. You coulda been off havin' all kinda adventures, but here you are takin' the time to talk to a old lady in her kitchen."

Peyton pointed a finger at her and grinned. "You bribed me with lemonade." (pg. 172)

I'm not sure why I marked this, except that it made me stop and think for a bit.

Peyton was about to experience his second stay on a military base - a place where he was starting to feel very much at home. . . . . There seemed to be a sense of shared pride and purpose. Most of all, Peyton was drawn to the clarity of military life - the certainty of knowing exactly what you were supposed to do and how you were supposed to do it. (pg. 238)

I don't want to write a long explanation or put this in context, but when Peyton was catching Lisa up on all his adventures, he said this.

". . . to the two children from the hospital, Bonnie and Jasper, who had lingered with him - more like something he wasn't supposed to forget than something he wanted to remember." (pg. 253)

Grief. It can be so incredibly difficult to deal with and work through. Kate shares.

"I don't know how to do this, Aunt Gert - how to get to a place where I can carry Marshall with me without crying all the time." (pg. 274)

I love Peyton's response when Lisa says, "Nothing scares you, does it?"

He frowned as he thought about her question. "It's not that I don't get scared. I just try not to let being scared stop me from doing whatever I've made up my mind to do." (pg. 297)

Back to Bonnie. I love that kid!

"You sure got a bunch o' love in you, Peyton." Bonnie said with a sigh. "It's a wonder it don't spill out all over the place and make a big ol' mess." (pg. 313)

I love how the epilogue brings us up to date with all the characters. Bonnie's comments on Jasper's choices (and even more - Peyton's response) were a great way to wrap the story up.

Bonnie sighed and looked him square in the eyes. "He's in a commune in California. There. Now you know. He's a full-on hippie. And he's protesting the war."

"Is he happy?"

"Yes."

"Is he safe out there?"

"Yes."

"Well, if he's happy and safe, that's all that matters. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"You mean why didn't I tell an Air Force colonel that the boy he rescued is a hippie and a war protestor?"

"He served his hitch. Did his duty. He's got a right to feel how he feels about the war. Everybody's different, Bonnie. Serving in Korea made me want to be in the military for life. I guess Vietnam made Jasper never want to go near it again." (pg. 329)

This was a lovely, albeit lightweight book. The book club discussion followed suit.