This charming canine tale offers a feel-good escape from the weight of fraught headlines.
In this novel inspired by a true story, two stray dogs in the woods set three strangers on a yearlong rescue operation that creates friendships and inspires major life changes.
It is April, and Bell has just picked up two birthday cakes for a celebration at her home when she pulls over to the side of Langston Road to let an aggressive driver in a tailgating Jeep pass. Bell hears something in the woods, but no human or animal appears—until her second drive down the road. This is when she spots two emaciated and frightened canines, a mother and her young pup, peering out from the foliage. Meanwhile, Emma, who turns out to be the “Jeep Lady” who has been burning rubber down Langston Road, has also spotted the two dogs. She too has been trying to entice the animals out of the woods. Then there is Charles, a driver for a logging company, who has been giving snacks to the hungry strays. It is not until December, in the middle of a heavy rainstorm, that the three rescuers finally meet on the road, each bringing something to help the now solitary puppy through the downpour and learning for the first time that they have all been on the same mission. The three protagonists in Campbell’s upbeat tale about new friendships and fresh beginnings are not fully three-dimensional, but their personal journeys through this swiftly paced adventure are engaging. The author supplies plenty of delightful canine antics (Bell already cares for a devoted, four-dog pack), although the descriptions of pooches and backstories are repeated too often. Naturally, with so many animals taking center stage, there is a tear-inducing episode. But there is also excitement, especially when a tornado rips through the small Southern town. Although Campbell’s frequent use of staccato onomatopoeia (“Splash. Thud. Splash.”) and unadorned prose make the narrative especially appropriate for younger readers, dog lovers of all ages will find the story enjoyable.
This charming canine tale offers a feel-good escape from the weight of fraught headlines.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 979-8986645711
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman.
Who was Shakespeare?
Move over, Earl of Oxford and Francis Bacon: There’s another contender for the true author of plays attributed to the bard of Stratford—Emilia Bassano, a clever, outspoken, educated woman who takes center stage in Picoult’s spirited novel. Of Italian heritage, from a family of court musicians, Emilia was a hidden Jew and the courtesan of a much older nobleman who vetted plays to be performed for Queen Elizabeth. She was well traveled—unlike Shakespeare, she visited Italy and Denmark, where, Picoult imagines, she may have met Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—and was familiar with court intrigue and English law. “Every gap in Shakespeare’s life or knowledge that has had to be explained away by scholars, she somehow fills,” Picoult writes. Encouraged by her lover, Emilia wrote plays and poetry, but 16th-century England was not ready for a female writer. Picoult interweaves Emilia’s story with that of her descendant Melina Green, an aspiring playwright, who encounters the same sexist barriers to making herself heard that Emilia faced. In alternating chapters, Picoult follows Melina’s frustrated efforts to get a play produced—a play about Emilia, who Melina is certain sold her work to Shakespeare. Melina’s play, By Any Other Name, “wasn’t meant to be a fiction; it was meant to be the resurrection of an erasure.” Picoult creates a richly detailed portrait of daily life in Elizabethan England, from sumptuous castles to seedy hovels. Melina’s story is less vivid: Where Emilia found support from the witty Christopher Marlowe, Melina has a fashion-loving gay roommate; where Emilia faces the ravages of repeated outbreaks of plague, for Melina, Covid-19 occurs largely offstage; where Emilia has a passionate affair with the adoring Earl of Southampton, Melina’s lover is an awkward New York Times theater critic. It’s Emilia’s story, and Picoult lovingly brings her to life.
A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman.Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780593497210
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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