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The Home for Wayward Clocks
When James Elgin opens his clock museum, he only wants to survive after being laid off. Instead, he saves his entire town. As tourists descend on What Cheer, other businesses in the depressed farm area adopt a clock theme and soon, What Cheer is on the map, providing welcome relief for travelers moving through monotonous Iowa.
Raised by an abusive mother, James felt his first connection to clocks when he was locked in the root cellar, an alarm clock his only company. The Home is a haven for thousands of clocks, which James restores. He believes every clock has its own soul.
While repairing the town’s clock tower, it suddenly chimes, bursting James' eardrums. James descends into a tickless vacuum. He must reach for human hands.
Every other chapter is a short story, tales of the clocks before they came into the Home.
This is the story of redemption, of a man who should have died at the hands of his mother, but insisted on surviving. It is the story of his ultimate recovery and his ability to fix clocks and heal friends, proving that the strength of the human soul can transcend the most profound and unthinkable of cruelties.
Raised by an abusive mother, James felt his first connection to clocks when he was locked in the root cellar, an alarm clock his only company. The Home is a haven for thousands of clocks, which James restores. He believes every clock has its own soul.
While repairing the town’s clock tower, it suddenly chimes, bursting James' eardrums. James descends into a tickless vacuum. He must reach for human hands.
Every other chapter is a short story, tales of the clocks before they came into the Home.
This is the story of redemption, of a man who should have died at the hands of his mother, but insisted on surviving. It is the story of his ultimate recovery and his ability to fix clocks and heal friends, proving that the strength of the human soul can transcend the most profound and unthinkable of cruelties.
- GenresFictionLiterature
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
1 person is currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Kathie Giorgio
23 books81 followersKATHIE GIORGIO is the author of a total of fifteen books: eight novels, two story collections, an essay collection, and four poetry collections. She’s been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in fiction and poetry and awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, the Silver Pen Award for Literary Excellence, the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence, and the Eric Hoffer Award In Fiction. Her poem “Light” won runner-up in the 2021 Rosebud Magazine Poetry Prize, and her work has also been incorporated into many visual art and musical events. Kathie is the director and founder of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop LLC, an international creative writing studio. She lives with her husband, mystery writer Michael Giorgio, and their daughter Olivia, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Three of her adult children, Christopher, Andy, and Olivia, live close by, along with her solo granddaughter, Maya Mae. One adult child, Katie, has wandered off to Louisiana and lives among the mathematicians and alligators.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 29, 2012
This book takes you on an intimate journey through human behavior. The author is extremely adept at conveying the psyche of each character, all of whom are very relatable. The real fascination is in how she managed to skillfully interlink so many different stories with the life of a single character via something as seemingly mundane as a clock. The stories are often dark and disturbing, but also insightful and moving. It took me a long time to read this book because each character causes you to stop and reflect, and the storylines are so enveloping, I had to occasionally come up for air. I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
March 21, 2012
This book was a pleasant surprise. It contains a unique plot interwoven with short stories that can each stand on their own. James is the caretaker of the The Home For Wayward Clocks. The abuse he suffered as a child connected him to clocks in a way most people would not understand. But then a teenager comes into his life who seems to care for the clocks almost as he does. Along the way we learn the stories of many of the clocks he has collected. Good character development, great storytelling and well-written.
June 20, 2012
I love the way this book is layed out--the alternating chapters of James' voice and the clocks' stories. And I love hos Giorgio has filled in James' past while creating a story in the present. And Cooley! Love it, just love it.
September 14, 2012
One of the best contemporary novels I've read. A beautiful tale of healing from abuse.
August 26, 2016
This is without a doubt one of the best books of 2011 (even if I didn't discover it until 2012). Novel, short fiction, it has everything. Fantastic from start to finish!
February 15, 2014
One of the best books I have ever read. Period.
May 16, 2012
In her debut novel, Giorgio has created a character as vivid as any I've ever read about and his story will keep you turning page after page and leave you breathless at the end and begging for more.
When James Elgin opens his clock museum, he only wants to survive after being laid off. Instead, he saves his entire town. As tourists descend on What Cheer, other businesses in the depressed farm area adopt a clock theme and soon, What Cheer is on the map, providing welcome relief for travelers moving through monotonous Iowa.
Raised by an abusive mother, James felt his first connection to clocks when he was locked in the root cellar, an alarm clock his only company. The Home is a haven for thousands of clocks, which James restores. He believes every clock has its own soul.
While repairing the town's clock tower, it suddenly chimes, bursting James' eardrums. James descends into a tickless vacuum. He must reach for human hands.
Every other chapter is a short story, tales of the clocks before they came into the Home.
This is the story of redemption, of a man who should have died at the hands of his mother, but insisted on surviving. It is the story of his ultimate recovery and his ability to fix clocks and heal friends, proving that the strength of the human soul can transcend the most profound and unthinkable of cruelties.
This book is a triumph. Read it!
When James Elgin opens his clock museum, he only wants to survive after being laid off. Instead, he saves his entire town. As tourists descend on What Cheer, other businesses in the depressed farm area adopt a clock theme and soon, What Cheer is on the map, providing welcome relief for travelers moving through monotonous Iowa.
Raised by an abusive mother, James felt his first connection to clocks when he was locked in the root cellar, an alarm clock his only company. The Home is a haven for thousands of clocks, which James restores. He believes every clock has its own soul.
While repairing the town's clock tower, it suddenly chimes, bursting James' eardrums. James descends into a tickless vacuum. He must reach for human hands.
Every other chapter is a short story, tales of the clocks before they came into the Home.
This is the story of redemption, of a man who should have died at the hands of his mother, but insisted on surviving. It is the story of his ultimate recovery and his ability to fix clocks and heal friends, proving that the strength of the human soul can transcend the most profound and unthinkable of cruelties.
This book is a triumph. Read it!
February 23, 2016
I didn’t expect to like this book. I expected to read a couple pages, dismiss it as tripe, and move on. But I kept reading because this book is unusual and wonderful. The protagonist, James, was horribly abused as a child, beaten and locked in a root cellar for days at a time with only a ticking alarm clock for company. As an adult, he doesn’t know how to relate to people, only to clocks. He collects them and turns his home into a clock museum. Giorgio’s chapters alternate between James and the people behind the clocks that he has collected. When a young woman named Cooley comes into his life, everything changes. It’s a beautiful story well told. I look forward to reading the sequel, Learning to Tell (a Life) Time.
August 25, 2016
This one is going to stick with me for awhile. I don't really know how to explain it without ruining the impact of the story. The broadest view I guess is to say that a very sad man has always found clocks comforting so he rescues as many as he can, fixes them and keeps them running in his home in a small town in Iowa. This becomes a museum, and that's where the story starts...and I honestly can't say ANYTHING about the plot except to say that thank God for kindness.
Also, several parts of the world I'm familiar with pop up here: Rockford (IL), southern WI, eastern IA, Chicago. It was startling to have them play such an important part in a really touching story. I'll never look at clocks--or storm cellars--the same way again.
Also, several parts of the world I'm familiar with pop up here: Rockford (IL), southern WI, eastern IA, Chicago. It was startling to have them play such an important part in a really touching story. I'll never look at clocks--or storm cellars--the same way again.
May 11, 2015
I'll admit this was outside my usual genre for books so it took me a long time to get through this book than most others. I really liked the reality of the book and the obvious research that went behind it. It was good overall. However, I deal with depression myself so reading this book was really hard since I was able to tune in well with the characters. So well that I had to take breaks reading it so it didn't worsen my depression even more. It's not a bad book just not my genre so didn't like it.
August 11, 2013
Possibly the best book I ever read. The Home for Wayward Clocks is an unforgettable masterpiece about heartache, loss, brokenness, and the intricacies of the human soul.
April 7, 2015
Great Book. I loved it. Katie Giorgio is a breath of fresh air in the literary world.
April 13, 2020
Loved this book. Fascinating look at 1 man's seemingly peculiar way of life. Seemingly, because it all becomes clear as you keep reading. Bits and pieces of his history are given as he interacts, or not, with members of his community and why it happens that way. This is basically a book about a man, his love and collection for clocks and why he has that love for them. Other words to describe the story are difficult for me, but I loved this story. It was a book, that when I turned the last page I wanted more. Fortunately more is coming, per the author.
November 9, 2018
This is a disturbing story told in a beautiful way. The construction of the plot is masterful. The characters are both heart wrenching and hopeful. Its very much a roller coaster, with a lot of down parts, for much of the book.
The only thing keeping me from giving it five stars was (in my opinion) an over emphasis the details of the main character's childhood. It seemed to get redundant at times and made parts of the book tough to get through.
The only thing keeping me from giving it five stars was (in my opinion) an over emphasis the details of the main character's childhood. It seemed to get redundant at times and made parts of the book tough to get through.
October 17, 2017
One of the most intense emotional experiences I have had from reading a book. The truths told, hidden behind the guise of fiction, were all too real. The author shared some deep realities and truth that will be hard for many to read. However, those things we are too afraid or embarrassed to discuss are doomed to be repeated. One of the best books I have ever read.
October 3, 2023
This was one of the most challenging books I've read in terms of content but the redemptive story of healing is so beautiful that it often made me teary eyed. There are also some terrific laugh out loud parts that linger in the best way. I strongly recommend this book.
July 8, 2014
This may be the most depressing book I've ever read. The hits just kept on coming one horrible story at a time with no real relief or an ending that makes you feel right.
February 13, 2020
Well written, but very dark in parts.
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April 16, 2019I cringed throughout reading the first 2 chapters of this book. Having a new baby in our family and then reading about this mother and child was just painful. I will look for other work from this author but this book isn’t a good fit for this time in my life.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews