CHRISTA COMES OUT OF HER SHELL

When her famous father returns from the dead, a prickly scientist’s life is thrown into chaos.

Christa Liddle was only a toddler when her father’s plane crashed in the Alaskan wilderness. But his death was more than just a personal tragedy—it was also a global one, because Jasper Liddle was a famous conservationist and explorer with a television show and even a line of stuffed animals. Christa, her two sisters, and her mother eventually moved on after his presumed death, but Christa never fully recovered from being in the spotlight. As an adult, she spends her days researching snails on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, relishing her solitude and the lack of (human) company. That is, until her father turns out to be alive after all. Christa winds up back in her family home and surrounded by people with whom she has complicated relationships—and that includes Nate, a family friend who is now quite attractive and quite obviously into her. As Jasper goes on an apology and explanation tour that includes an appearance on Oprah, Christa has to decide if forgiveness is possible…and whether a return to civilization (and a life with companions other than snails) is in the cards for her. Waxman displays her usual talent for creating main characters who are wry and great with a one-liner. Although the plot could have been heavy, Waxman and her characters keep it light and focus on the humor of Jasper’s misadventures. Christa is endearingly antisocial (as she says when explaining why she prefers the company of snails: “Humans talk so much and look at you expectantly, as if you’d been paying attention”), and it’s satisfying to watch her come out of her shell as she accepts the chaos of her family and learns to make peace with the past.

A fun novel that manages to blend romance, family drama, and animal facts.