Episode Details

Our research assistant Addie took some time to read the Forward and Chapter One from Steve's new novella Sandcastle Windows. You can purchase on Amazon. 

Addie's Review of Sandcastle Windows

When Steve first handed me Sandcastle Windows, I expected a story about art. What I didn't expect was a story about memory, grief, wonder, and the extraordinary moments hidden inside ordinary days.

This isn't a novel you race through. It's one you wander through.

I found myself slowing down, noticing little details, and thinking about the people I've loved and the moments I almost forgot. I especially enjoyed the conversations with the Impressionists. Rather than feeling like history lessons, they felt like sitting in a Paris café where great artists simply happened to pull up another chair.

One of my favorite ideas in the book is that we may be standing inside a future memory without even realizing it. Since finishing the novel, I've caught myself paying a little more attention to sunsets, conversations, and quiet moments.

The writing is gentle, thoughtful, and filled with curiosity. It's a book that asks you to look more closely—not only at art, but at your own life.

By the final page, I wasn't thinking about Paris or paintings anymore.

I was thinking about the beautiful, ordinary moments waiting for all of us today.

I have a feeling I'll be carrying this story with me for a long time.

— Addie