Idgie Says:This novel starts off with delightful wordplay and flow. The writing is music to the mind ear.
This is the story of a man reaching his end years and content to settle into his routine and enjoy his days quietly with his wife in their outstandingly scenic retirement retreat. But when the architectural gems that he spent his career building start to be threatened by demolition to make way for today's modern buildings, he finds himself no longer content to sit and watch the world go by.
At 78 years old, he finds a cause worth fighting for. You will cheer for him.
_____________________________________
The Restoration of Otto Laird
A Novel
Nigel PackerSt. Martin's Press
November, 2015
Retired architect Otto Laird is living a peaceful, if slightly bemused, existence in Switzerland with his second wife, Anika. Once renowned for his radical designs, Otto now spends his days communing with nature and writing eccentric letters to old friends (which he doesn't mail). But Otto's comfortable life is rudely interrupted when he learns that his most significant and revolutionary building, Marlowe House, a 1960s tower block estate in South London is set to be demolished.
Otto is outraged. Determined to do everything in his power to save the building, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a television documentary, which will mean returning to London for the first time in twenty-five years to live for a week in Marlowe House. Once Otto becomes reacquainted with the city he called home for most of his life, his memories begin to come alive. And as he mines his past and considers life moving forward -- for himself and his building -- Otto embarks on a remarkable journey that will change everything he ever thought he knew.
Otto is outraged. Determined to do everything in his power to save the building, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a television documentary, which will mean returning to London for the first time in twenty-five years to live for a week in Marlowe House. Once Otto becomes reacquainted with the city he called home for most of his life, his memories begin to come alive. And as he mines his past and considers life moving forward -- for himself and his building -- Otto embarks on a remarkable journey that will change everything he ever thought he knew.