The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick
This book is a light but rewarding read. Celia Fairchild is a writer who loses her job as an advice columnist when the New York City-based newspaper she wrote for is sold. At first, she is devastated, but when she inherits a home in Charleston from her Aunt Calpurnia, she builds a new life for herself. She had been close to her aunt as a youngster but hadn’t been in touch for many years. Her advice column was named Dear Calpurnia in honor of this aunt who had provided so much love and guidance during her difficult childhood.
While cleaning and renovating the house and preparing for the adoption of a baby, and recovering from a recent divorce, Celia learns many lessons about life and relationships. Possibly the most remarkable growth is when she begins to consider her own advice. For a well-respected advice columnist, she had difficulty trusting her instincts upon which she based her column’s advice. Celia learns to open her heart to community members and give people second chances. She even overcame her distaste for dogs when she meets a long-lost relative who has canine friends. Through some interesting characters, Bostwick emphasizes that families can extend beyond blood relatives, and friends are the families we create for ourselves.
Bostwick also includes some interesting symbols in this seemingly simple book. Yarn is often a symbol of connection and creativity. It can also represent industriousness and happiness. Of course, spinning a yarn is used when building a story, especially one with curious adventures. Celia, the protagonist, is a writer and storyteller, and the discovery of her late aunt’s yarn cave represents a turning point in her life’s trajectory. Not only that, but she reconnects with a childhood friend, Polly, at a yarn store. The yarn allows the plot to develop in several ways, and the characters’ connections are generated based on yarn-related segments. Also, the rebuilding of Aunt Calpurnia’s house moves along at the pace of many percolating friendships. Windows become an essential part of the completion of the house restoration, and their installation coincides with the readers’ gaining a view into the windows of the main characters’ souls. I believe there was symbolism intended in some of the characters’ names. Calpurnia, the final wife of Julus Caesar, is often used in literature to denote a notable woman. Although misunderstood by some characters, Teddy is like a soft-cuddly teddy bear, and Celia has a variety of meanings: in Latin, it means blind one, and in Hebrew, it is a rock. So, Bostwick presents a novel worth reading and considering at a variety of levels.
