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Prime of Life Paperback – February 4, 2014

by P.D. Bekendam (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 497 ratings
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Is a simple life too much to ask for?

Ben thinks the retirement home where he works should be called “Heaven Can Wait a Little Longer While I Golf” instead of Heritage Gardens. But who asked him? He’s just the janitor, after all. Of course, his inept boss, the cantankerous residents, and even his attractive podiatrist friend don’t know one important thing about him: he was recently a cardiothoracic surgeon, not a broom-pushing custodian.

Ben is in search of a stress-free life with a little freedom from the past thrown in. But will it be that simple to escape who he used to be—and all he used to fear?

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Worthy Books
  4. Publication date
    February 4, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1617952273
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1617952272
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author and practicing eye surgeon, Dr. Bekendam is happily married and the proud father of two boys. Proceeds from his writing go to help fund his activites in developing countries as he works to bring cataract surgery to the needlessly blind. Prime of Life is his debut novel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Worthy Books (February 4, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1617952273
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1617952272
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 497 ratings

About the author

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P. D. Bekendam

P. D. Bekendam

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Peter Bekendam is a practicing eye surgeon. He uses proceeds from his book sales to fund his activities in developing countries, helping to bring sight-restoring cataract surgeries to those who would otherwise have no chance of recovering their vision. Visit the author at PDBekendam.blogspot.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
497 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Daniel Quentin Steele
5.0 out of 5 stars A Really Good Magic Trick
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2012
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"Prime of Life" is a literary hat trick. You won't know until the final pages what you're reading. The author sets you up for one novel, and as in the classic shell game (pick the pea from under one of three shells) con, winds up serving up something entirely different. But in this con game, there are no losers.

The author sets it up as a warm, funny, and affectionate look at life in an old folks home as observed by a wounded young man who's retreated there from his own life to lick his wounds.

Bloody from the blows to heart and soul, Ben is happy to live the simple life of a janitor with no obligations and no regrets. He can sit back and watch with amusement the feuding and flirting of men and women thirty to forty years his senior who aren't ready to go gently and quietly into that good night.

But life won't let him alone, won't let him rest, won't let him hide in the recesses of a mind enmeshed by self constructed walls. It draws him back into the struggle of life - battling to protect the homes and fortunes of his new friends.

It draws him back into the all-too painful world of male female relationships by bringing a potential new love into his life, and then the woman he's never been able to get over from his old life. And even worse, instead of having to deal with one of them, he has to deal with both.

Smoothly written, amusing and heart warming, Ben's story would be a winner if it was only about a young man trying to put the pieces of a shattered life back together with help from some old friends.

But, as mentioned before, that's not what it's really all about. It's about the greatest question in human existence and how you feel about it will determine your response to the author's ending. If you are a non-believer, this is only a touching fantasy about God and angels. If you're a believer, it is an affirmation of the basic truth of life.

But whatever direction you come from, this is a winner. It's a very good, fast paced, satisfying read.
2 people found this helpful
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Becca
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting characters with a bit of magic.
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013
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I didn't know what to expect when I got this book. I really don't know what drove me to get it, it was probably a kindle deal, but I'm glad I read it. The main character in the story is an interesting man and the author writes in a way that you slowly learn about what makes him tick, through the telling of the story. The story takes place in a retirement community and is populated by a lot of geriatric characters, who, even though they may be a little exaggerated, they are also very realistic. Some of the situations are a little far fetched and the ending seems a bit abrupt, because you don't get to find out what happens to every single character you meet. I liked the characters and grew to care about them. I do like stories that draw me in and make me feel like I am sitting at the table or in the living room with the characters; this is how I felt while reading.

I did, very much enjoy this story. It was an easy read that I could turn to in the evening to relax. The action and situations kept me engaged, so I was never bored and never "threw" it down in frustration. I thought it was very sweet
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LMN
5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky & Heart-Warming
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2013
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There are so many things I liked about this book I'm not quite sure where to start so I'll start with the one thing I wasn't crazy about. A few of the plot elements were a little far-fetched but that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book once I decided not to get hung up on that fact. I LOVED the characters. They were funny, engaging and believeable. I loved the main character. The older I get and the more books I read, the more importance I find is that I LIKE the main character. I have started reading books in the past that I quickly put down because I frankly couldn't have cared less about what happened to any of the characters! Ben's OCD is very believeable to the point that I wonder if the author struggles with it. I did as a child and recognize some of the thought patterns. There is a lot of dry humor in this book. When the Professor was revealing to Ben that he knew he had OCD by saying "I can put two and two together." and all Ben could think was "Oh no! That makes 4!" (his most hated number) I laughed out loud! The romantic piece was interesting and the end perfect! Hopefully, P.D. Bekendam will have another one out soon.
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Cici
5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle is the keyword
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2014
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Prime of Life is a really enjoyable book, and one I could recommend to anyone. The characters were subtly created in a way that the reader feels they know each of them, and cares about them. Ben is trapped in a self-imposed prison because of something that happened in his days as an esteemed heart surgeon. He can only cope by turning his obsessive actions into distractions from problems that are facing him, or when things are spiraling out of his control.

I won't recount the story line - you should read it and enjoy each subtle twist and turn as it builds to an ending that has you holding your breath in anticipation. Well played, Mr. Bekendam. Even though I had read some of the reviews before I started reading, I was not sure what direction the ending would take.

As I was writing this review, I became aware of what it was that made this novel so interesting and enjoyable, and it occurred to me, it is the subtle skill of the author that is part of character development, story line arc, humor, and an ending that I loved, but hadn't expected. A well written book that doesn't depend on over-the-top scenes and actions to tell a good story.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

BP
3.0 out of 5 stars A lighthearted read
Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2013
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This book was well written and occasionally humorous. It got religious near the end, which seemed odd and facile. Ben, the main character, was endearing, but most others weren't well developed.
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Jay Howard
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, touching, well crafted
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2012
Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a cardiothoracic surgeon who found life as a doctor impossible to continue after he failed to save his brother. Ben retreats to work as a janitor in a residential village for the elderly, and the empathy and love he has for the residents is a wonderful skeleton for the tale. Ben's OCD and difficulty with romantic relationships is handled well. It is an extremely well crafted work, funny and touching by turns, with a satisfying ending.
2 people found this helpful
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hs
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2013
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Nice story, easy reading.
Pleasant enough & not too taxing, would recommend to those looking for something that is easy to flick through.
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pollyanna
3.0 out of 5 stars a little too much of the OCD
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2012
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I found this book to be an interesting and entirely believable concept - cardio-thoracic surgeon who, because of a tragedy in his professional life, ran away and became a janitor in a retirement home. The lives and characters of the elderly residents are well drawn and it is easy to imagine most of them, though some are definitely a bit too much larger than life to be totally believable. Also, there is absolutely no other Care staff mentioned apart from the owner who does nothing but gamble on the computer.It is also supposed to be a nursing facility , it tells us later in the book, but no other staff are ever mentioned, let alone drawn into any of the plots.

The Home gets into financial difficulty due to the owner's gambling habit and for a while it looks as if it will have to be sold. Ben and the main cast of residents, plus a girl-friend from his past and one from his present (the Home's visiting podiatrist, Lex), get involved in schemes to save the Home. Again, it is a fine line between plausible and implausible!

I didn't have a problem with the main story, even at its most far-fetched (and there were times when it did become more like a farce than anything else), but Ben has OCD and the long pages of description of his problems -a dislike of the number four, a love of everything being in prime numbers, lots of hand-washing when extra stressed, avoiding tiled floors etc, - were just too much to take, and I found myself skipping large sections of the book to get away from them. I'm sure the author , or someone very close to him, must suffer this condition to be able to describe it in such minute detail, but it very much got in the way of the story, much as advertisement breaks do when watching a TV programme.

There were a few glaring spelling mistakes ( eg. we must reap what we have sewn!) otherwise it was well edited.

I admire the author for contributing royalties to a charity for helping the blind, but am not sure if I'd read anything else -definitly not if a character had OCD!!
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Madcucumbersmuggler
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2012
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An enjoyable light hearted book with laugh out loud moments, true to life characters and a decent, believable storyline. Well worth a look.
One person found this helpful
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