Tuesday Book Club: The Restorer by Michael Sala
This week for Tuesday Book Club, Final Draft’s Andrew Pople chats with Australian author Michael Sala about his novel, ‘The Restorer’. Set in 1989 Newcastle, the novel follows a family who is trying to restore their derelict house as well as the bonds of their relationship. Sala builds on the narrative of the tragic earthquake of 1989 in Newcastle as well as other world events to create a sense of literary bipolar between hope and despair.
Throughout the novel is an alternating narrative between Maryanne and Roy who are a separated couple trying to rekindle their flames. This narrative is supported by their daughter Freya, who is on the verge of womanhood and finds it difficult to understand her family situation. Amongst the backdrop of a post-earthquake ram shackled Newcastle, Sala explores the struggle of rebuilding family through a violent patriarch, a growing woman, and a compassionate mother who tolerates her husband’s unstable behavior for the sake of her family. For more of this, you can listen to the full interview on 2SER’s Final Draft.
