EDDY, EDDY

A New Zealand boy reckons with his past and his present.

Eddy Smallbone is mourning the loss of his beloved Labrador, Marley. Her death occurred right around the two-year anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake and his grandmother’s passing. An orphan, he’s been raised by the uncle he calls Brain, a research librarian who’s surrounded Eddy with a coterie of caring adults, including godmother Bridgie, cousin Ginge, and “the Modern Priest.” Eddy’s best friend, Thomas “Toss” Moore, whom he’s in choir and assorted bands with, is recovering from salmonella poisoning. The 19-year-old Eddy has dealt with numerous changes; he dropped out of school just before the first quake, and his internal world has been turbulent ever since, with long stretches of quiet punctuated by sudden bursts of noise. Still, Eddy is processing Marley’s death with action: He takes on new jobs (such as pet sitting and, inadvertently, child care), in addition to working his regular checkout gig at the supermarket. While on a pet-sitting assignment with a nun’s cursing parrot, he bumps into his ex, Boo O’Brien, who injects further complications into his already cluttered world. What follows is an often sweet and sometimes humorous exploration of love, mental health, family, faith, grief, and the past. This sophisticated story weaves in and out of the present day, allowing for a full perspective on Eddy—with occasional commentary from Boo herself—as he juggles reality, responsibility, and hope. Main characters read white.

A soulfully layered story told with wit and care.