The Restoration of Celia Fairchild

A Novel

By: Marie Bostwick

Narrated by: Sarah Naughton

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

“The Restoration of Celia Fairchild is wise, witty, and utterly compelling.” (Jane Green, New York Times best-selling author of The Friends We Keep)

Evvie Drake Starts Over meets The Friday Night Knitting Club in this wise and witty novel about a fired advice columnist who discovers lost and found family members in Charleston, by the New York Times best-selling author of The Second Sister.

Celia Fairchild, known as advice columnist "Dear Calpurnia", has insight into everybody’s problems - except her own. Still bruised by the end of a marriage she thought was her last chance to create a family, Celia receives an unexpected answer to a “Dear Birthmother” letter. Celia throws herself into proving she’s a perfect adoptive mother material - with a stable home and income - only to lose her job. Her one option: sell the Charleston house left to her by her recently departed, estranged Aunt Calpurnia.

Arriving in Charleston, Celia learns that Calpurnia had become a hoarder, the house is a wreck, and selling it will require a drastic, rapid makeover. The task of renovation seems overwhelming and risky. But with the help of new neighbors, old friends, and an unlikely sisterhood of strong, creative women who need her as much as she needs them, Celia knits together the truth about her estranged family - and about herself.

The Restoration of Celia Fairchild is an unforgettable novel of secrets revealed, laughter released, creativity rediscovered, and waves of wisdom by a writer Robyn Carr calls "my go-to author for feel-good novels".

©2021 Marie Bostwick (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Bummer

Did not finish-I made it to chapter 16 and nothing significant had happened. I found it to be too slow and I wasn’t drawn to the main character to find out what happens in the end.

Nice story

A good light read - good narration too. No over the top “southern” accents. Very enjoyable

Restoration….

….is the theme of this book. I have read all of Marie Bostwick’s books and I have enjoyed all of them.

Honestly have no idea how people enjoyed this

I have no clue how this book is rated so well to be honest. From start to finish I found it to be a collection of the most basic cliches. I literally found myself continually rolling my eyes and sighing out of exasperation. I trudged through it thinking it might get better and it never did. I am genuinely annoyed at the friend that recommended this book to me and now will forever distrust her book recommendations.

I really wanted to love it!

I desperately wanted to love this book. An hour or so in, I debated returning it but decided to try to stick with it, thinking...hoping it would get better. Every scenario was predictable, every chapter uneventful. I couldn’t keep the neighbors straight because I was never drawn in enough to care.

Could not put it down....

I could not put “The Restoration of Celia Fairchild” down! The storyline, characters and breadth of the story was terrific. The performance by Sarah Naughton was also fitting for the fantastic book! Bravo!

Uplifting story and great Narration!

With all the turmoil in the world, this was a welcome respite, uplifting and endearing. Just what I needed!

A Full Heart

All the feel goods for a time when people need hope and a reminder to be grateful for small blessings.

Marvelous!

Scrolling through the library for just any book to listen to in order to occupy my mind, I somewhat casually chose this book and now that I’m done…just Wow! This author has a wonderful grasp on evoking emotion through written word. The timing of the storyline is near perfect, the details were just the right amount and it’s nice for there to be a ‘not perfect’ ending. I think it’s more believable sometimes :)
Great book, I will have to read more of this author!

Great Book

Loved that it was clean and wholesome. It was a good story. What I loved the most was the narrator. She was fantastic. This is the second book I have listened to by her, and chose this one specifically because she was narrating. Now I also have a new author to seek out as well. This book was a credit well spent.