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The Story I Chose To Tell
Restoration follows a man returning home after serving twenty-one years in prison and his sister, who must confront both her own unresolved trauma and the brother she’s kept at a distance. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?
There is some history. I was in my early twenties when I learned that a counselor from my high school had been shot by her son. She survived but her husband and her two daughters were killed. I had worked with her on bringing a new course option to the school; she was very positive and helpful. She was very well liked, and the idea of her son being so angry and desperate to take that action was jarring.And then I learned that the father was one of the few orthodontists in town. I never had braces, but many of my friends told of the appointments that always included a scolding that they were not wearing their retainer when they should, or they had broken wire because they must have been eating popcorn, and that that their parents were paying a lot for their braces. They should be grateful. That was decades ago. I am retired and now have time to write. The story I chose to tell was of a son whose life was so broken that he felt their family should come to an end.
Daniel committed his crime at just fifteen years old. What drew you to explore the question of whether a person can truly change after such a long incarceration?
I wanted Daniel’s character to represent many people who, out of desperation, or lack of support, or whatever burden they carry until they feel a drastic act is the only option. I believe that a large percentage of inmates found themselves in that hole. I also wanted to bring into the story the many systems that fail the people they should be support. Daniel is cornered by his high school counselor who fumbles over himself, apologizing for his allowing the principal to keep the father’s abuse unknown. Daniel has a run-in with one of the men who had worked with his father and others to develop a cabal of city leaders that reigned over the city. In one scene, the preacher at the church the family attended and where his father was deacon recognizes Daniel and bombards him with platitudes that end with him asking Daniel if he’d made his peace with God. My intention was both about the hard work of finding your way after years in prison and how often the help that should have served them is lacking and ineffectual. I tried not to be too heavy handed with “and the moral of this story is…scenarios”. Daniel has many good people who reach out to him and help him as he matures.
Your novel avoids easy answers about forgiveness and redemption. Did you always know you wanted to leave those questions open for readers to wrestle with?
There seemed to be a need to make that messy. Daniel forgiving himself would have been insincere and would skip over the hard work. Anyone who carries guilt must pass through the crucible. Chrystal’s making a swift acceptance of the return of the brother who changed her life would also make her story insincere.
What do you hope readers take away from Restoration about accountability, healing, and the possibility of rebuilding a life after profound loss?
I did want to have the focus on Daniel and Chrystal and each one’s slow roll to building a life that is theirs. I didn’t want to wrap it up at the end with Daniel having a girlfriend or Will moving to Ithaca. I also wanted to leave Chrystal with some uncertainty of the next steps of bringing Daniel into their life. I did want to bring people into his life to emphasize the power of kindness, shared community, acceptance, and of patience that were essential for Daniel’s growth.
Restoration
Restoration is a literary family drama about Daniel Calder, a man returning to Ithaca after spending twenty-one years in prison for a crime committed when he was fifteen, and Chrystal, the sister whose life was shattered by the same violent night. The novel follows Daniel as he tries to rebuild a life through work, friendship, routine, and the painful act of being known again. At the same time, Chrystal is forced to face the brother she has kept at a distance, the trauma she has survived, and the family history that never stayed neatly buried.
I was surprised by how patient the book is. This is not a story that rushes toward forgiveness or tries to make healing look clean. I appreciated that. Daniel’s return is built out of small, ordinary moments: eating in a diner, learning a phone, choosing food, riding a bike, sitting in a room that is finally his. Those scenes carry real weight because the author understands that freedom is not just a door opening. It’s learning how to live without asking permission for every breath. I found that deeply moving.
I also admired the way the novel gives Chrystal her full space. She’s not written as an obstacle to Daniel’s redemption, and that matters. Her anger, fear, distance, and curiosity all feel earned. The author makes room for both siblings without forcing the reader to pick a side too easily. That is one of the book’s strongest choices. The story keeps circling the idea of restoration, not as a return to what once was, but as the slow work of making something useful and honest from what remains. The furniture work with Marco becomes more than a job. It becomes the book’s clearest metaphor, and it fits because it is practical, physical, and humble.
There are moments when the novel’s emotional detail asks the reader to slow down and sit with discomfort, and I think that will be its greatest strength for the right audience. Readers who enjoy fast plots may find its pace measured, but those who like character-driven literary fiction, family dramas, and stories about trauma, accountability, and second chances will find a lot to hold onto here. I would recommend Restoration to readers who appreciate quiet, serious novels about damaged people trying to live gently without pretending the past can be erased.
Pages: 396
