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The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays was not at all what I expected. Although an avid reader, I challenged myself to enjoy the story, as it is not lost on me that historical fiction became a favorite simply by taking a chance on a new genre. That is the expectation for novelist, playwright, and poet Andrea Hairston.
Oona, a multiverse-traveling St. Berdoodle (St. Bernard/poodle mix), is the primary witness to Melody’s murder and knows exactly who the killer is, which makes her a target. But I found myself wondering why Oona couldn’t be just a dog. I also mostly thought she would steal the show. As it turns out, however, my favorite character is Paula B. Queenie—a cleaning lady. And then there is her friend An’qwenique (journalistic podcaster) along with Zsuzsu (Oona’s current owner) and Upstairs Karl (an end-of-the-world preparing, sometimes workout guy). Together, Oona, An’qwenique, and Zsuzsu try to solve Melody’s murder and end up at the center of the chaos—The Redemption Center, which is closed. Although Paula and the rest of the neighborhood residents are left behind to wonder what happened to everybody else, specifically An’qwenique, it is Paula who figures it out and makes the next journey into the unknown with her friend.
The Redemption Center is a mysterious, spooky local mansion near a state park where time stands still. By the time I reached this part in the book, aside from the multiple universes, dimensions, and occasional aliens and tricksters, I came to enjoy the parts dealing with the murder mystery and romance/bromance confessions. It seemed after that the story became a story to me.
What Hairston does well, here, is create community. I enjoyed the colorful personalities, the over-the-top descriptions, and especially some of Paula’s quotes, such as “My home exhibits work” right along with “Don’t give terror your mind,” and “Make some meaning. Not just who you happen to be, who you mean to be,” of which a character says, “That sounds like something Paula says.”
At times, I felt the book had too many characters and storylines; however, the narrative still echoes a comforting sense of familiarity. The neighbors are funny and insightful. The strangers are just that—strange. And I liked the casualness of the relationships; the characters all come off as so “neighborly.” I just remember asking myself why can’t Oona just be an ordinary dog? Of course not, she had a hard life trying to track down and keep up with previous disappearing owners from the circus where she once belonged, save current friends and owners from aliens, chase a kidnapper, and solve a murder.
By the time I reached the end, I found the book engaging and imaginative in that there are elements of spirituality and African folklore woven together. I particularly loved the idea of the African masks symbolically turning to each other and allowing characters to “pass through.” And while some parts seem wildly chaotic, others are strangely comedic—like the interactions with Charlize and Tomás de la Cruz. I appreciated the novel’s separation into Books I, II, III, and IV; the vibrant descriptions; and the hand-drawn illustration that added a special touch to the book. I still think the story could have been told and written with fewer pages. Overall, The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays has loads of personality, humor, and wit.
