The Correction - Book Review

Reader, have you ever wished you could take back a decision and have a "do-over"? 

The Correction, by John Hazen, is a fantasy novel based on the premise that certain people can grant a second chance to others. However, along with the power to grant such unheard-of influence comes great responsibilities. The Correction is a surprising and insightful look at the paths ones' life takes —both those that we choose to go down and the ones that seem to choose us.

Like other John Hazen books, The Correction is a very thought-provoking read. A skillfully written and thoroughly entertaining novel by an author with a genuine gift for originality and a distinctive narrative-driven storytelling style.

Hazen tells the story of a unique 99-year-old Joseph Vance. Told in the first person, Vance wants to set the records straight before it is too late, so he begins his tale almost 800 years ago with the first incidence of an ancestor who had the power, or gift, to grant a correction. Vance's recollections are based on family folklore and some written records of family members who could grant a second chance to strangers.  He intersperses the historical stories with his own memoirs.

The gift of corrections was passed down from the first child in a family to the first child in a subsequent family. There was great pressure on descendants to marry and have children and to train the oldest child in the "gift." Rules for granting the gift were set up and usually strictly followed. Like all things in life, unfortunately, mistakes were made that allowed abuse of power. There were also lines that must not be crossed for political or monetary gain. Some family members discovered they could do a personal self-correction with exciting results.

Each of the many ancestors and the other individuals that Vance encountered are well fleshed-out character studies. Each are unique individuals with fascinating stories. The reader learns that when an individual is granted the opportunity of a second chance, the first or original reality is wiped out, often with some glaring consequences, both personal and political. Can the original reality be remembered? How are other people affected? Which reality is "real"?

As the reader is confronted with the challenges faced by the gifted "corrector" and the individuals whose wishes for a "do over" are explored, he must reflect on his own life and the opportunities he may have had to wish for a second chance.  

Faced with choices, readers don't have the option of second chances but must accept the consequences of their actions. Readers will be reminded to think of the "what if" significances of decisions. 

No one really knows what will happen if the past is changed. It could erase the future of others, their dreams - could it even bring back the dead? Someone said even God couldn't change the past, but John Hazen's fictional tale argues that point.   

The novel has a satisfying conclusion that reflects on time as nothing to waste and to make wise decisions at the present time. In reality, time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice.