Over the course of the story, we see two very different paths offered about fate, but each one shows something the other one neglects. No one can ignore the horror of Barker's violence, the fire, the suffering of that family and of Andrea's fatal burns. One important note here would be to remember that Barker didn't intend to kill Andrea necessarily, but when he gave in to his emotions, the consequences were not his to choose. He did murder her.
But that side of the story is only half of the story. What is the other half? It is the value of Cal Barker's daughter. Instead of hating the girl because of who her father is, which is essentially what Cal himself did to Andrea, the family loves her instead of hating her. Does she replace the daughter they lost? No, but they can still share their forgiveness with her, especially since she is also the victim of her father.
Then there is the issue of time, which intersects these social issues at absolutely every point. The focal piece of the novel is indeed the Timepiece, which is a powerful symbol, but not one that is hard to read. It represents time, the circular passage of time, around and around, and it represents the ebb and flow of life, because grandfather clocks work by pendulum, where the pendulum is usually revealed behind glass. The gift of time is one that some characters get more of than others, but the novel offers love and forgiveness as a potential solution to this temporary problem of death.
