The Restoration of Otto Laird

Otto Laird is outraged . . .

The peaceful, if slightly bemused, existence of this elderly, retired architect is rudely interrupted when he learns that his most significant and revolutionary building, Marlowe House, a 1960s tower block council estate in south London is to be demolished. Determined to do everything in his power to save the building, Otto returns to London for the first time in twenty-five years.

As he explores his past, ponders his present and considers the future -- for himself and his building -- Otto embarks on a most remarkable journey, one that will change everything he ever thought he knew about himself and those closest to him.

Funny, moving and heart-warming, this is a novel featuring one of the most endearing protagonists you will ever meet, whose story will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

During an eclectic career as a writer and journalist, Nigel Packer has been a music reviewer for BBC News Online and Ceefax, a reporting officer at the International Committee of the Red Cross and a contributor to various magazines and newspapers. He lives in London.