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From the Pages of
Restoration...
When they arrived at the hospital, John ran up three flights
of stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. After he reached
the top floor, he fled down a long corridor, devoid of color except
for the bright blue room numbers flashing in his peripheral vision.
Private rooms. Not Neurology. He’d been told Neurology. Top
floor. But, where was it? The smell of medicine and disinfectant
threatened to smother John if he slowed down, so he kept going.
John hated hospitals. He almost fainted when Riley was born,
but Kathryn encouraged him to cut the cord, take his new son into
his arms and welcome him to the world -– a rush he’d
never forget. Kathryn breathed that kind of strength into him.
Capable and calm, she walked him through the moments. Where was
she now? He had to get to her.
John picked up his pace when he saw the
sign for Neurology. He slammed
through the double doors and crashed into the nurses’ station.
“I’m looking for Kathryn Greene.”
A young woman reached across the desk and touched his hand. She
shifted around to the front of the workstation and guided him
to a room full of mauve chairs. Other people waited there, some
with cups of coffee, some pacing, others staring into space. Nobody
seemed to notice John as the nurse helped him sit down and brought
him some water. . .
Discussion
Questions for Restoration
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Did
Restoration in any way parallel your life or someone’s you
know? Have you ever had to face a tragedy before? Do you agree
that ‘time’ is the best healer?
-
Did the
title fit? Did the metaphor of restoring an old home and
restoring a family work?
-
Did you
feel you knew Kathryn? Why? What kind of person do you think
she was? Do you think she had any regrets?
-
Which
characters did you sympathize most with in the novel, and why?
-
Which
characters were you least sympathetic towards, and why? Have
you ever known anyone like that before?
-
How did
the characters’ pasts influence their behaviors in the novel?
-
Why did
John start having panic attacks?
-
Why was
John so competent at the office, but so clumsy at home?
-
How does
spirituality play a role in John’s healing? What’s held him
back from religion in the past? Do you think a lot of people
feel the same way about religion that John did?
-
Sidney
comes on the scene and shakes things up for John. What was it
that unnerved him so when he saw her on the plane after
knocking her over?
-
Do you
think they have a future?
-
How did
humor play a role in shaping the characters? What was your
favorite funny scene?
-
Restoration is
character driven. In what ways did the characters drive or
propel the story into action?
-
In what
way is foreshadowing used regarding John’s ultimate decision
regarding his career?
- A year goes by in
the novel, what do you think John learned most?
© 2006 Caron Kamps Widden
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