In a world that has forgotten him, one boy holds the power to mend what’s broken.
Ten-year-old Arthur’s only possessions are a quiet smile and a knack for fixing things. An orphan at St. Brigid’s, he endures loneliness, bullies, and the aching silence of never being chosen. His sole solace is the dusty window of Mr. Armitage’s Watch & Repair, a sanctuary of ticking clocks and meticulous order.
When a chance act of kindness earns him a job in the shop, Leo discovers a world where broken mechanisms can be made whole again. Under the gruff tutelage of the lonely old watchmaker, he learns to repair not just clocks, but the small, shattered pieces of his orphanage life-a wobbly table, a tangled jump rope, a little girl’s treasured music box.
But when a devastating fire scatters the children of St. Brigid’s, Leo is cast adrift in a harsh new institution, his hard-won purpose stripped away. Salvation comes in the form of an extraordinary proposition: become Mr. Armitage’s live-in apprentice.
Now, in a room above the shop, Arthur must navigate a new school, a prickly partnership, and the echoes of his own past. Together, he and Mr. Armitage embark on their greatest repair: a magnificent, long-abandoned anniversary clock that holds the key to the old man’s own broken heart. As they fit the fragile pieces together, Arthur realizes the most complex mechanisms of all are trust, friendship, and the fragile ticks of a found family.
A heartfelt story of resilience, healing, and the quiet power of a gentle heart, perfect for fans ofThe Miraculous Journey of Edward TulaneandThe London Eye Mystery.