The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers: A novel
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An extraordinary, gloriously uplifting novel about the power of friendship and the puzzling ties that bind us • "The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers takes readers along on Clayton [Stumper]'s quest to discover his roots, treating us to a literary mood boost about friendship and found family."—Real Simple
“A lovely read, warm, amusing and engaging.”—Alexander McCall Smith, bestselling author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series
Clayton Stumper might be in his twenties, but he dresses like your grandpa and fusses like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution.
When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton’s life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. So begins Clay’s quest to uncover the secrets surrounding his birth, secrets that will change Clay—and the Fellowship—forever.
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is pure joy, a story about love and family and what it means to find your people—no matter what age you are.
“A lovely read, warm, amusing and engaging.”—Alexander McCall Smith, bestselling author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series
Clayton Stumper might be in his twenties, but he dresses like your grandpa and fusses like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution.
When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton’s life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. So begins Clay’s quest to uncover the secrets surrounding his birth, secrets that will change Clay—and the Fellowship—forever.
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is pure joy, a story about love and family and what it means to find your people—no matter what age you are.
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Community Reviews
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is an adult version of a coming-of-age for our main character Clayton Stumper. On the heels of the death of his adoptive mother, Pippa, Clayton sets out on a journey of self-discovery guided by bread-crumb clues Pippa has left for him in the form of puzzle clues and riddles.
Readers should know that the book is told from Clayton's present timeline and Pippa's timeline leading up to the time he came into her life. At first this puzzled me because I thought the story was solely about Clayton discovering life after Pippa. Then I realized it was meant to give readers not only some background context, but paint us a picture of Pippa's characters and show us why she made specific decisions.
Particularly in regards to sending Clayton on a quest to discover the truth about his lineage rather than just telling him. The narrators for this book were perfectly chosen and I would gladly listen to other projects of theirs.
Words cannot adequately describe the level of love and affection I had for Pippa's character the further I got in this book. She was so smart, sharp, funny, confident, warm, welcoming, strong, independent, conning with conviction--I really could go on. And kudos to the author for handling the nuances of the aging community face through Pippa and her fellow member such as loneliness, sadness, lack of connections and purpose.
It was my understanding that the brilliant minds of the fellowship members that helped raise Clayton were older in years and this didn't stunt his development but at the end of her life, Pippa and other members seemed to feel Clayton might have been living a secluded life rather than a fulfilling one. And due to everyone's older age, he basically grew up into a caretaker role among them and this wasn't what any of them wanted for him.
Through Clayton's quest to discover his origin story, readers will find the theme of love is scattered throughout the book and represented in different ways based on the types of love from the ancient Greeks. And this is the first time I've ever come across this in a work of fiction before.
The tone of this book is predominantly cozy and lighthearted but there's a few twists in the story readers can look forward to.
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a great pick for readers who
- Like cozy books
- Trips down memory lane
- Appreciate the quirks of older central characters
- Like narratives with just a wisp of romance
- And puzzle/riddle type narratives
Highly recommend it!
This book is everything it promised to be and more. Cozy, sweet, and melancholy, and most of all love and chosen family. It’s beautifully crafted with the puzzles and word games throughout that you can solve along with Clayton, and that just adds to the feeling that you are a member of their little family.
As we begin our novel, we meet Pippa Allsbrook, a true pioneer and feminist because she started this club called the "Fellowship of Puzzle Makers." It was like a safe space for people who loved puzzles and all that brainy stuff.
As the Fellowship is fully and formally established, one day, Pippa unexpectedly finds this hat box with a baby. She christens the baby to be Clayton Stumper. With the help of the Fellowship, Clayton grows up with a bunch of eclectic people teaching him all sorts of stuff, from shaving to riding a bike.
Sadly within the first few chapters, Pippa passes away. While Clayton lives amongst the Fellowship, he misses her presence greatly. Never one to not foreshadow things, Pippa leaves behind some puzzles for Clayton to solve. These puzzles lead him on an adventure from his cozy home to the crazy streets of London, where he makes new friends and figures out where he comes from.
The story goes back and forth between the past and present between Pippa and Clayton. While not all the characters' developments may not be as fleshed out as I prefer, it suffices. Readers who favor fast-paced narratives may find the pace of this story to be leisurely.
As the Fellowship is fully and formally established, one day, Pippa unexpectedly finds this hat box with a baby. She christens the baby to be Clayton Stumper. With the help of the Fellowship, Clayton grows up with a bunch of eclectic people teaching him all sorts of stuff, from shaving to riding a bike.
Sadly within the first few chapters, Pippa passes away. While Clayton lives amongst the Fellowship, he misses her presence greatly. Never one to not foreshadow things, Pippa leaves behind some puzzles for Clayton to solve. These puzzles lead him on an adventure from his cozy home to the crazy streets of London, where he makes new friends and figures out where he comes from.
The story goes back and forth between the past and present between Pippa and Clayton. While not all the characters' developments may not be as fleshed out as I prefer, it suffices. Readers who favor fast-paced narratives may find the pace of this story to be leisurely.
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