Restoration Heights: A Novel

Reddick hasn’t been inspired artistically for some time; he lives in a neighborhood that is changing, and though he feels part of it, some see him as an outsider. A seemingly white man, Reddick is quick to claim his black grandfather as proof that he is not so far removed from the multiracial community in which he lives. However, his appearance is enough to give him privilege as some of his friends point out at different times in the book. And, it is his appearance and a chance meeting with Hannah before she disappears that gives him access to the Leland house and a mission to help find the girl.

There is no reason for Reddick to undertake the search other than he feels somewhat responsible, a feeling that is admirable and also ridiculous. As his search deepens, bankrolled by the Leland matriarch who has a special interest in the Seward family scandal, the social commentary of the novel develops. Medearis—through the lens of this mystery—critiques the transformation via gentrification of one Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, which offers him avenues to explore gender, racial, and class inequalities in the 21st century. Whether you’re a fan of good old fashioned whodunits, or you’re interested in examining the evolving world in which we live, Resotration Heights is the novel for you.