The Restorer cover art

The Restorer

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Restorer

By: Michael Sala
Narrated by: Olivia Beardsley
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

After a year apart, Maryanne returns to her husband, Roy, bringing their eight-year-old son, Daniel, and his teenage sister, Freya, with her. The family move from Sydney to Newcastle, where Roy has bought a derelict house on the coast. As Roy painstakingly patches the holes in the floorboards and plasters over cracks in the walls, Maryanne believes, for a while, that they can rebuild a life together.

But Freya doesn't want a fresh start - she just wants out - and Daniel drifts around the sprawling, run-down house in a dream, infuriating his father, who soon forgets the promises he has made. Some cracks can never be smoothed over, and tension grows between Roy and Maryanne until their uneasy peace is ruptured - with devastating consequences.

©2017 Michael Sala (P)2019 Aurora Audio Books Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction
All stars
Most relevant  
Growing up in the East End of Newcastle and going to school with the author, this novel was like reliving my misspent youth. The 1989 context and Leigh Leigh’s murder provide the perfect backdrop for an exploration of the casual misogyny that was part of the Newcastle High experience for myself and most (all?) girls I grew up with. More than a few of the parties and events in this novel are based on actual events and the protagonist was only a year older than myself at this time. The depictions of Newcastle are spot on. I was a bit disappointed with how obvious the ending was and they heavy foreshadowing. I would have liked to see a little something unexpected. But overall this is very well written - from an English teacher to her 3 Unit English classmate and friend, good job Michael.

A nostalgic journey into my past

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It is a very long book which draws one into the lives of this rather desperate family in Newcastle. I had hoped there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. However, I was left weeping and grateful that my life is in no way similar! The descriptions of Newcastle are very well drawn and there were some interesting historical facts thrown in.

Heart wrenching tale of a damaged sole

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.