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Fortunately, I was laid off, (a temporary hiatus in those days) but before I was called back I landed a job as a reporter at a weekly newspaper and decided to resume my education. I graduated from Webster College (now University) with honors and was later employed there in the graduate school.
I LOVED my job first as a news reporter, then editor of two editions, but I had a family situation that required regular hours so after seven years I went to work for a public school district. That began a career in public service that included a stint at KDHX Public Radio and St. Louis Job Corps.
I retired at 50 with plans to travel and write the great American novel. After seeing a good bit of the world, I started this novel in 2010. Family stuff got in the way, so 15 years later – here it is.
I belong to two car clubs, the St. Louis Artists Guild, and the Heritage Club at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I am a fairly good photographer and have had two successful shows but now I am more of an art collector specializing in Missouri artists.
The Sycamores is a deeply intimate and emotionally layered historical novel that explores what it means to love someone through mental illness, grief, and the quiet wars waged inside a home.
Set in post-war America, the story follows Nathan Thaddeus Wallace, a faithful, working-class bread truck driver whose life is built around responsibility, routine, and devotion to his family. As Nathan works tirelessly to provide stability for his wife, Carly, and their daughter, Denise, their marriage begins to unravel under the weight of trauma and unspeakable loss.
Through every hardship, Nathan clings to the dream of one day owning a home in the country. It is a dream of peace, security, and a better future, one that keeps Nathan afloat when everything else threatens to drown him.
When Nathan accepts a new rural route, he encounters Correll Farrington, an elegant horsewoman whose quiet strength and peaceful world contrast sharply with Nathan’s troubled home life. As their lives gently touch, a powerful story of emotional conflict, loyalty, sacrifice, and the deeply human need to be seen unfolds.
Balancing sorrow with serenity and hardship with hope, The Sycamores is a moving testament to quiet heroism, the long road toward healing, and the fragile threads that hold families together.
Discover powerful stories and insights from Char Mason, where every word resonates.
