Author
Michael Pepper's Newest Release
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.
Here's what reader's are saying:
"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 Michael’s 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
"I found Royal Edge to be as charming and uplifting a book as I have read in recent years. Granted, those times (the Viet Nam Era) and that place (Princeton) are indelible chapters in my own life. But I was never as lucky as was the author to make a friend like Ella, a Romanov Countess, from whom he learned so much about culture, elegance, class, bravery, care, kindness, reverie, legacy and so many other aspects of what should constitute a life well lived. All while facing the deadly threat of being dragooned into an immoral war. This book recounts a rare and precious true story of profound communality between two people of tumultuous generations so separate in time and geography, yet united and bonded fortuitously, one toward the end of her life, the other just at the beginning. I can’t recommend this book highly enough."
- Brian E. Langston, Verified Amazon Reviewer
"In a dark time, a fortunate college graduate is swept into a distant culture through a magical entry visa. A lovely tale populated by unforgettable characters, it reminds us of the possibilities that life presents to those willing to put aside preconceptions. You will not forget this book."
- Richard Ostrow, Verified Amazon Reviewer
“This is the beautifully written journey of an accomplished architect who revisits the period after his graduation from Princeton. Fearful of being drafted to Vietnam, he is unsure where his life is headed. When he boards with a charming older woman, a Russian countess, he is enlightened about a life of struggles played out on the world’s stage, and gains a new perspective on his situation. A book to savor.“
- Deby Eisenberg, Author of Passions of The Grande Dame Hotel
“I thoroughly enjoyed the coming-of-age story of Royal Edge. Life has serendipitous moments. The author, Michael Pepper, stumbled into one of those moments immediately upon exiting FitzRandolph Gate of Princeton University and his life's path was altered and forever changed by Ella, an aging Russian Countess who endured many ups and downs in her life journey. Life lessons and wisdom of Ella's are imbued throughout the book.“
- Vitus Lau, Amazon Reviewer
"The beautiful friendship between Michael and Ella is magical. One of the best non fictional reads! You will not be disappointed!!"
- Carol Lightner, Amazon Reviewer