The release date for the English version of 'Unlikely Animals' by
Annie Hartnett is Feb 2023. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
This tragicomic book is very poignant, endearing, and charmingly oddball. You'll find yourself pulling for the eccentric ensemble of characters—both alive and dead—right up to the very last page.— Good Housekeeping (selected for book club)
In this unique tale of life, death, and whatever comes after from the bestselling author of Rabbit Cake, a lost young lady returns to small-town New Hampshire under the most peculiar circumstances.
ONE OF THE GREATEST BOOKS EVER The Washington Post and Book Riot • Joyce Carol Oates Prize longlist
At Maple Street Cemetery, it provided entertainment. Our favorite sort of tale is one that is both tragic and humorous.
Emma Starling, a natural healer, previously had lofty goals for her life, but she's lost her path. She left medical school to take care of her father, who has an unexplained brain condition, and has returned to her hometown of Everton, New Hampshire. In addition to seeing glimpses of the spirit of long-dead naturalist Ernest Harold Baynes, who was well-known for allowing wild creatures to reside in his home, Clive Starling has been seeing hallucinations of little animals. Clive has been receiving suggestions from this ghost about what to do with his last days.
Emma is unprepared to discover that her old best friend from high school is gone and that no one is even trying to hunt for her when she gets home. Emma is aware that she must deal with her dad's sickness, her mother's criticism, and her younger brother's recent trip in rehab. According to the police, they don't spend a lot of time searching for drug users. The only person who believes the young lady may still be alive is Emma's father, and Emma hopes he may be correct. At least someone needs to search for her. Even though Emma and her father don't truly aim to save the day, they manage to perform the exact type of miracle that the community needs.
Unlikely Animals is a tragicomic book about family expectations, flawed connections, and the potential of reviving that which had been considered irreparably gone. It is set against the background of a tiny town in the midst of a very real opioid epidemic.