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Misplaced Clarity
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Misplaced Clarity (edit title/settings)

by C.D. Smith (Author) (edit contributors)

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A young college graduate, living in a small town and working at an unfulfilling job, Alex Porter begins his journey of self discovery while unwittingly touching the hearts of every person he comes in contact with. His gift for drawing people together leads him to Harold Harper, an elderly man... read more

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The story begins in the small-town grocery store where several of the characters work. Alex is young, with a degree in English Literature, but doesn't know where his career is going to begin. Esther is an opinionated 64-year old looking forward to an impending hip replacement. Roger, the store... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

The story begins in the small-town grocery store where several of the characters work. Alex is young, with a degree in English Literature, but doesn't know where his career is going to begin. Esther is an opinionated 64-year old looking forward to an impending hip replacement. Roger, the store manager, is an arrogant jerk with a fragile and volatile ego. Dan a retired insurance salesman, is bagging groceries, along with Wilton (aka 'Dubya') Forster, who is a college student working summers and holidays at the store.
When Esther's granddaughter comes from Los Angeles to take care of her after the hip replacement, a story starts to unfold concerning a thwarted romance between Esther and Dan, 50 years ago when they were teenagers. Esther's dark and painful secret is eventually revealed.
Harold is a 79-year old retiree, who is rapidly losing his faculties to dementia. His wife Aileen, is struggling to keep their life on a steady course, while their son who lives in the big city tries harder to influence the couple to sell their home and move to a luxury retirement facility. They fight tooth and nail to stay in their home. When Alex moves in with Harold and Aileen, he feels compelled to help them, tirelessly researching the subject of dementia, and learning how memory games can help keep Harold sharp.
Roger, the grocery store manager, develops an unhealthy obsession with Beth, Esther's granddaughter, but the other men in the store circle the wagons and do their best to protect her from his creepy advances.
Harold gets better, Roger gets worse, love is in the air, and the widely varied group of characters pull together for the same cause, to keep Harold and Aileen in their home. Their victory is bittersweet, dementia doesn't just go away. Each character has their own story, each has a goal and an obstacle to overcome. They all develop an intertwined relationship that is heartwarming, and shows that there is still some humanity left in the world.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Alex Porter: A young man with a heart a mile wide, takes on the task of sharpening the mind of Harold Harper, who is falling victim to dementia. Alex wants his life to mean something. Working as a grocery checker doesn't make good use of his degree in English Literature, so he begins investigating the job market once he sees that a career is not going to fall into his lap. The relationships he develops with the other small-town characters become a solid foundation on which his formerly 'just-an-average-guy' begins to grow into a force to be reckoned with.
  • Esther Wharton: Esther didn't realize it until her granddaughter came to visit, that she had become a crabby, unpleasant woman. The physcial pain from her hip problems, along with a deep unhappiness she held for so many years, had transformed her into someone she didn't want to be. When Beth comes to stay with Esther for the summer, to look after her while she recuperates from a hip replacement, Esther begins to soften once again into a loving, caring person. She finally confides in Beth the reasons behind her unhappiness. She felt she had ruined her life and ruined any chance for happiness. Beth guides her lovingly into putting the past behind her and starts the ball rolling toward Esther having the life she always wanted.
  • Roger Weatherly: Roger is in his thirties. He is immensely proud of his status as grocery store manager, and feels entitled to many things, including Esther's granddaughter, Beth. Roger is unpleasant to be around- he is a bumbling, socially maladjusted buffoon, and no one takes him seriously. He sets out to make sure that everyone, Beth included, takes him seriously. To his dismay, persons of authority take him very seriously.
  • Wilton (Dubya) Forster: Dubya is a happy-go-lucky college student, working at the grocery during summers and holidays. He is gorgeous, athletic and fun-loving, and he has no fear of taking on new challenges, including the new girl in town and her sociopathic admirer.
  • Harold Harper: Harold is 79 and long since retired. He has had a wonderful life with his wife Aileen, and is comfortable and blissfully happy in their home. Harold begins to show signs that his memory is failing, his level of confusion is rising, and it is causing great concern among those who care for him. One of the concerned parties is Harold and Aileen's son, Cliff, who is a high-powered real estate broker in the big city. Cliff is set on having Harold declared incompetent, selling their home, which is worth a great deal, and moving his parents into a retirement community. When Harold is lucid, he gladly accepts the help of his friend Alex Porter, and those whom Alex has gathered to stand up against the Harpers' greedy son.
  • Aileen Harper: Aileen is a loving, deeply caring woman, who loves her husband with all her heart. She is dismayed that he is declining so rapidly, and terrified that he will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Aileen is fiercely protective, and will do anything in her power to save her husband, as well as fending off her own son, who has ulterior motives behind his upcoming visit.
  • Dan Weatherly: Dan is a retired insurance salesman, who did well in his career, raised his family, had all the good things in life, then found himself with an empty retirement fund. He is forced to work bagging groceries until his situation can be resolved. Dan is a true gentleman and is true to his heart. He learns that the girl he thought had shunned him in high school, actually had a painful secret that had kept her from him all these years. His goal becomes the effort to woo her back and pick up where they left off many years ago.
  • Beth: Add a description of this character.
  • Paul Berkett
  • Cliff
  • Marlene
  • Maryanne
  • Mrs. Ransom
  • Tanner
  • Holly
  • Mr. Arthur
  • Haley
  • Grams
  • Anna
  • Nathan Berkett
  • Tommy
  • Mr. Yen
Show all 22 characters
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Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. C.D. Smith (Author)
Popular Tags
  1. **, 
  2. contemporary fiction, 
  3. fiction 

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