The Restoration of Celia Fairchild: A Novel

Like the ramshackle disaster of a Charleston home she inherits, Celia Fairchild needs to do a lot of work on herself. What she doesn't fully know as her life starts to fall apart is that she has it pretty good, with considerable upside. After losing her job and her means of survival, she "restores" heself in a few short months, even with obstacles and dashed dreams littering her path.This is a refreshing and uplifing nnovel about friendhsip, kindness and family, the one you're born to and the one you create. It's also about recognizing and capitalizing on second chances. While it may seem like "women's fiction" -- a category the author derides--- this novel is equally relevant for men, especially those who like to venture beyond violence and mayhem that is typically directed at them. Some, myself included, may find themselves even tearing up from time to time.The Restoration of Celia Fairchild cold have turned sappy, but just as it veers slightly in that direction, Bostwick reels it in. Appealing and fully realized characters -- even dogs -- add to the mix. This warm, wise and funny novel is a winner!

What I loved about this book.1. Charleston, SC setting ( I love that city! )2. A down to earth main character who was never annoying or too much of anything ( I hate it when characters are overly emotional and/or flakey )3. The side characters ( gotta have engaging and fun sidekicks )4. The Dear Calpurnia advice letters and the hopeful musings to Dear Peaches.5. That is was a clean adult read and did not push any political/social agendas. It was just real.6. The family that Celia ends up with at the end, and the overall theme that life may not end up how we planned, but the unexpected can still turn into dreams come true.What I didn’t like about this book.1. The fact that it ended and the story is over. I could have read on about Celia’s life for way longer.

A light hearted book full of great, larger than life characters, and a cleverly woven story of love and family.

This book surprised me. Who started out to be a story about an advice columnist ended up being about a former advice columnist, Celia, taking her own advice and turning her life around. After losing her job and inheriting her family’s ancestral home in Charleston, she sets out to adopt a baby and ends up with a family of friends and neighbors, and a cousin she didn’t know she had. If things don’t always turn out the way she expected, they have a way of working out. Heartwarming and thoroughly enjoyable.

This is my second book by Marie Bostwick. Filled with humanity, humour and great characters. Thank you for being a great writer and sharing your soul.

From the first chapter to the end, a marvelous read. As the Celia grows from a “southern dear Abby” and morphs into a back home grown up the story unfolds into a life is hard but I am strong with the help of a community of intertwined people. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This is another 5 star review on a Marie Bostwick’s book. The characters in the story remind you of some of your family & friends that make up your ‘families’- lovable , quirky, frustrating but this is what makes our lives fascinating! The story draws you in- skipped running errands or anything else until I had read all the way through & didn’t feel guilty at all! The characters are so lovable (even the out of sort ones!). What looked to be insurmountable circumstances turned into a chance to start over. True friends surround her & give her so much joy she never seemed to feel in.NY. May be prejudiced but that’s how things work in sweet southern towns! Curl up & enjoy a great read!

I don't read much in this genre, but I sometimes need a break from nonfiction and wicked domestic thrillers. This was a very enjoyable book. Well written -- the story flowed -- and well-edited. I chose "The Restoration of Celia Fairchild" for the Charleston setting. I lived in Charleston the best 5 years of my life. If I looked really hard to find one tiny nitpick, it would be the use of "Pickney" for the prominent family name that I'm sure was meant to be Pinckney. Any Google search would confirm that. A little hiccup every time it appeared in the text, but the story was great.

I just loved this book! From the first chapter to the end!I highly recommend this book!5 Stars

I've read all of Marie's books and am a huge fan of the Cobbled Court series. This is just a lovely story of a woman surviving and overcoming the disasters life throws her way and building a new life - and a new family - along the way. With echoes of Anne Hood's book "The Knitting Circle" ( another excellent read) it reminds us that friends are the family we choose for ourselves.

I have just finished reading this book, didn’t want to put it dow. Marie makes here characters so lifelike you really feel you’d know them if you bumped into them in real life.