“Waiting for Today” is a wonderful novel. It is a quiet and intimate story in many respects. The first part of the novel deals with the courtship and marriage of Jacob and Faith. Jacob is a teacher in D.C. and an avid Red Sox fan. Faith owns a flower shop and has a secret passion for the piano. The author seems to court both sexes in the early chapters. The male population is served with some excellent baseball scenes. Although I am not a fan of the Red Sox, the novel brought me back to the vivid experiences of watching those particular games. The female population is served by some outstanding prose about relationships and emotions. This is the area where Craig’s writing really excels. The rooftop in Georgetown and the sledding scene were fabulous examples of truly excellent writing.
Events become tragic as the birth of their first child, Aurora, nears. Jacob is forced to deal with loss on all levels. I won’t spoil the plot, but much of the novel’s literary merit comes as events spiral down into the territory inhabited by Job. The writing is terrific. It has a regional taste and flavor to it, exploring New England, DC and Spain. Some passages are just beautiful. I would stop and just appreciate a wonderful sentence or paragraph. The story is heart-breaking and heart-building. Faith is tested and Jacob definitely explores the dark territory of the soul.
“Waiting for Today” is an excellent first novel by Steven A. Craig. He is a talented writer not afraid to explore the emotional landscape caused by love and loss. As I let the pages slip through my fingers, I kept thinking that this is a really good novel in its understated way and truly admired a job well done.
