The Renovation
Page 33
Cameron waved the paper in front of her. They followed it, trying to see what it contained.
“You know that grandson who didn’t want to sell? Well. He’s changed his mind. Paige told me about it. Her realtor friend in Titusville has the exclusive on it.”
“Grandson? Whose grandson?”
“Who changed his mind?”
Cameron took a step forward, holding the paper out, holding it with both hands.
And on the paper was a picture of a large house, a Victorian house, with three stories and an enormous turret, its paint weathered to a milky yellow, in need of some tender loving care and a restoration expert. It was almost hidden by trees, with a stream running next to the house, and in the foreground, a field of flowers filled the nearly perfect little valley, its one side draped with a weeping willow.…
And in a moment, that paper was crushed between Cameron and Ethan as he picked her up and swung her about the kitchen in a wild, happy, joyful dance, accompanied by the laughter of their son.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After eleven coauthored books with her husband, Jim, Terri Kraus has added her award-winning interior designer’s eye to her world of fiction. She comes to the Project Restoration series naturally, having survived the remodel, renovation, and restoration of three separate personal residences, along with those of her clients. She makes her home in Wheaton, Illinois, with her husband; son, Elliot; miniature schnauzer, Rufus; and Siberian cat, Petey.
Visit Terri Kraus at her Web site: www.terrikraus.com.
Other Books by Jim and Terri Kraus
Mackenzie Street Series
The Unfolding
The Choosing
Scattered Stones
The Circle Of Destiny Series
The Price
The Treasure
The Promise
The Quest
Treasures Of The Caribbean Series
Pirates of the Heart
Passages of Gold
Journey to the Crimson Sea
His Father Saw Him Coming
The Micah Judgment
The Silence
… a little more …
When a delightful concert comes to an end,
the orchestra might offer an encore.
When a fine meal comes to an end,
it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert.
When a great story comes to an end,
we think you may want to linger.
And so, we offer ...
AfterWords—just a little something more after you
have finished a David C. Cook novel.
We invite you to stay awhile in the story.
Thanks for reading!
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• A Note from the Author
• Discussion Questions
A Note from the Author
Writing a novel set in the world of the restoration of old buildings has always been a dream of mine. The idea of renovation is in my family’s blood. I’m an interior design professional. My brothers are rehabbers. My husband, Jim, and I have survived the renovation of three houses.
I know the upheaval well, the despair of having no control, the agonizing over style decisions, the budget constraints, the disagreements between contractor and owner, and the emotional roller coaster of unexpected problems and unanticipated gifts along the way. Together my clients and I have accepted big disappointments, celebrated tiny successes, and experienced the inexpressible elation at seeing what was once in ruins—old, broken, useless—become, with all its quirks, a beautiful, completely renewed, and usable place for people to share life again. Looking back on all those projects, I can echo the sentiment in the opening line of Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Many of you are probably, like me, HGTV fans who watch the many shows about fixing up old houses. You find yourself glued to the glimpses of contractors and owners engaged in the process. You live vicariously through the rehabbing, renovating, and restoring.
I can relate. I’ve always been captivated by old buildings. Poring over books about art, architectural styles, and decoration from all over the world has always been one of my favorite pastimes. As I’ve traveled internationally and visited many of the places I’ve studied independently and in the course of my education in design, I’ve become even more passionate about restoration. (I’m the woman you might see sitting on a bench along the wall of the Sistine Chapel, silently weeping as I take in Michelangelo’s magnificent masterpiece in the simplicity of that sacred space.) I can talk forever about the importance of preserving buildings that are testaments to the creative impulse, the hours of painstaking effort, the motivation and dedication of artists, designers, craftsmen, and artisans from previous eras. All were, no doubt, imperfect people—but people used as instruments in God’s hands to create perfectly rendered works of art that endure and can stir our hearts so many, many years later.
For me, there’s something quite magical about walking into an old place, with all its history, where so much life has been lived, where so many events and significant moments have taken place—the happy ones, the sad ones, and all the everyday moments and hours in between. Imagining who might have inhabited a house, how the family came together, the love they shared, their conversations, the tears and laughter, is irresistible to me. I find inspiration as I imagine how they celebrated and grieved, how they overcame adversity, how they survived tragedy, then moved on to enjoy life within the old walls once again.
One of the joys of my life was visiting the little northern Italian village, nestled among olive groves high up in the Apennine Mountains, where my maternal grandparents were born, grew up, and married before emigrating to America in 1920. A short lane connects their two families’ farmhouses. In between them stands a small, now empty house of ancient, mellowed stone where my grandparents lived as newlyweds. How full my heart felt as I walked over that threshold! I pictured them as a young couple in the first blush of matrimony, with all their hopes and dreams … before their brave journey (separately) across a wide ocean to a strange land where all was unknown. Within those aged walls, did they speak of their fears as they prepared to leave their homeland, certain they’d never see their parents and siblings again? What kind of courage did that require? What words did they use to comfort and reassure one another? I wondered. I could see, in my mind’s eye, my grandmother stirring a pot of pasta as my grandfather stoked the fire. I could even hear the crackling of the firewood, smell the slight aroma of wood smoke.…
A few artifacts remained of their time there, and I was delighted to be able to take them back to America with me. Now I treasure and display them in my own home because they connect me with that place and time and remind me of my rich heritage—all stemming from that small structure, still standing, solidly built so long ago.
I love the metaphor of restoration, which is why I came up with the idea for the Project Restoration series—stories that would follow both the physical restoration of a building and the emotional/spiritual restoration of a character. Ethan, Cameron, and Chase, whom you just met in this book, are just the beginning. Perhaps in The Renovation and the following books, you’ll find a character who mirrors your own life and points you toward the kind of restoration you long for.
After all, God is in the business of restoring lives—reclaiming, repairing, renewing what was broken and bringing beauty from ashes. I know, because I’ve seen His renovation firsthand. For many years, I’ve worked in women’s ministries. I’ve seen many women—as well as the men and children they love—deal with scars from their pasts that shape their todays and tomorrows. They all long for restoration—to live joyfully and productively once again—but that also requires forgiveness. Forgiveness of others (whether th
ey deserve it or not) and, perhaps most importantly, forgiveness of oneself in order to be healthy and available to God. Clinging to past hurts or “unfairness,” hostility, anger, grudges, resentment, bitterness, or allowing abuse to alter your self-worth renders your life virtually useless. Unforgiveness shapes your perception of yourself, your outlook on life, the kind of relationships you have, and keeps you in “stuck” mode. It leaves you in a dark, emotionally paralyzing, spiritually debilitating, physically draining state and causes so much unnecessary pain … even addiction.
Yet God Himself stands and waits, extending the gift of restoration. The light of His love shines on all those dark places deep within us, exposing what needs His healing touch. This is the type of restoration I’ve become passionate about too. For when our souls are gloriously freed through God’s renovation, we become whole, useful, and able to extend the forgiveness we have experienced to others. Then individuals, families, churches, and entire communities can be transformed!
What event in your past do you need to let go of? It is my hope and prayer that you, too, will experience the renovation that awaits you through saying yes to God’s invitation of heart restoration … and the life-transforming joy that will follow.
Discussion Questions
1. What hints do you see, early on in the book, that there is an underlying issue creating tension in the relationship between Ethan and Chase? Have you ever been in a situation where there was tension in a relationship, but neither you nor the other person involved were talking about the real issue? Explain.
2. Why do you think Chase felt responsible for his mother’s death? Are there any ways in which Ethan could have behaved differently? If so, describe. If you were in Ethan’s shoes, how would you have handled the situation?
3. Do you think Ethan carries his passion for respecting the past too far when he engages CeCe in battles over how “original” to keep her house? Why or why not? If you were a rehabber, how would you handle a client like CeCe?
4. Does Ethan’s respect for the past carry over to any other areas of his life other than rehabbing the Carter Mansion? If so, what areas, and how?
5. When have you felt yourself clinging to the past? How did it influence your life at that time? What about now? Explain.
6. Why is Chase’s secret room so important to him? If you had a secret place growing up, where was it? Why was that place so important to you? Who did you risk sharing it with (if anyone)?
7. Do you agree with the advice Paige gives Cameron about her interest in Ethan? Why or why not? How did Paige’s sharing the past events in her life influence Cameron’s spiritual journey?
8. How did Cameron deal with the guilt she felt about her little brother’s drowning? Have you found yourself in a similar position—where you’ve felt guilty about a past event? If so, what happened?
9. How did the tragic event that happened in Cameron’s childhood color her adult life? How did it impact her attraction to Ethan, and to Chase? How has tragedy influenced the way you respond to others? The way you think of yourself?
10. How did Lynne’s death affect Ethan’s life? His work? His faith? Have you ever felt “stuck”? If you’ve become “unstuck” since then, compare your journey with Ethan’s. In what ways are your journeys the same? How do they differ?
11. Who do you think was more aware of how the past tragedy affected Ethan’s life: Ethan, or his son, Chase? Explain, using clues from the story.
12. How did Cameron’s parents deal with the tragedy in their family? In what ways did this affect their daughter’s life? If you were Cameron’s parents, and you could go back and relive life after the tragedy, would you do anything differently? Explain.
13. What made Chase and Elliot’s friendship special? Do you think Chase identified Cameron as a kindred spirit? Why or why not? Who was your kindred spirit when you were growing up, if you had one? Why do you think you were particularly drawn to this person?
14. Why did Ethan turn away from the church? Do you think this was inevitable, given the circumstances? Why or why not? What, if anything, could have prevented his spiral into doubt, unbelief, and anger toward God? Have you (or a loved one) found yourself in a similar situation due to life circumstances? If so, when?
15. In chapter 5, Ethan wrestles with blaming God for his wife’s murder. How would you respond to the questions he asks as he contemplates why bad things happen in this world?
16. What risks did the following characters take in choosing to change the course of their lives:
Ethan?
Cameron?
Chase?
17. Have you ever taken a big risk in changing the course of your life? When? What happened? Tell the story.
18. What science project did Chase help Elliot with? In what way(s) is it symbolic of what was happening in Chase’s life?
19. What did you think of the appearance and timing in the book regarding the arrival of
Emily Harrington?
Paul Drake?
Have you ever had to choose between two people to love or be attracted to? How did you make the choice? Looking back, did you make the right choice? Why or why not?
20. In what way(s) did God orchestrate the lives of
Ethan?
Cameron?
Chase?
Take a step back into your own past. In what specific events can you see God orchestrating your life to get you to where you are right now? Tell the story. Better yet, why not write it down for the generations to come?