Fragile Beasts

A Novel

By: Tawni O'Dell

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Laural Merlington

Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

When their hard-drinking but loving father dies in a car accident, teenage brothers Kyle and Klint Hayes face a bleak prospect: leaving their Pennsylvania hometown for an uncertain life in Arizona with the mother who ran out on them years ago. But in a strange twist of fate, their town's matriarch, an eccentric, wealthy old woman whose family once owned the county coal mines, hears the boys' story. Candace Jack doesn't have an ounce of maternal instinct, yet for reasons she does not even understand herself, she is compelled to offer Kyle and Klint a home.

Suddenly, the two boys go from living in a small, run-down house on a gravel road to a stately mansion filled with sumptuous furnishings and beautiful artwork - artwork that's predominantly centered, oddly, on bull fighting. And then there's Miss Jack's real-life bull: Ventisco - a regal, hulking, jet-black beast who roams the land she owns with fiery impudence.

Kyle adjusts more easily to the transition. A budding artist, he finds a kindred spirit in Miss Jack. But local baseball hero Klint refuses to warm up to his new benefactress and instead throws himself into his game with a fierceness that troubles his little brother. Klint is not just grieving his father's death; he's carrying a terrible secret that he has never revealed to anyone. Unbeknownst to the world, Candace Jack has a secret too - a tragic, passionate past in Spain that the boys' presence threatens to reveal as she finds herself caring more for them than she ever believed possible.

From the muted, bruised hills of Pennsylvania coal country to the colorful, flamboyant bull rings of southern Spain, Tawni O'Dell takes us on a riveting journey, not only between two completely different lands, but also between seemingly incompatible souls, casting us under a narrative spell in which characters and places are rendered with fragile tenderness.

©2010 Tawni O'Dell (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“A unique blend of such disparate elements as baseball, bullfighting, and fine art along with O'Dell's multifaceted major and minor characters combine for intriguing vision. Her hard-hitting, well-crafted story packs a wallop.” ( Library Journal)

Predictable story, but entertaining.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Paul Boehmer and Laural Merlington ?

I did not like the male narrator. He was good as Louise, but as Kyle he was so annoying I could barely listen to him. The woman narrator was excellent!

Fragile Families

I read this story as a print book in 2010 and loved it so much that I chose it for my new book club in 2024, this time as an audiobook. Listening to the story made it even richer. I liked Paul Boehmer's narration of Luis better than of Kyle, but it would be tough for one narrator to nail both roles as they are so discrepant. Laural Merlington voiced a wonderful Candace.

Original review:

I love stories about dysfunctional families, and this was one of the best I've read in a long time.

Fragile Beasts opens with the narration of Kyle Hayes, a 15 year-old boy who adores his older brother (Pennsylvania high-school baseball standout Klint) as well as his younger sister, Krystal. Kyle's attended every one of Klint's baseball games, and he has drawn countless pictures for Krystal. Problem is, Krystal now lives far away in Arizona after their mom scooped her up and left their father for another man. An even bigger problem is that Kyle's father just inadvertently killed himself in a drunk-driving accident.

It's quite a dilemma about where Kyle and Klint will live after their father's funeral. Their dad was a blue-collar drunk, but he looks like "Parent of the Year" compared to their cruel, cold mother. Enter the wealthy, childless Candace Jack. Miss Jack agrees to take in the boys on, mostly to spite her nephew (the owner of the local coal company), but also to protect the boys from their mother.

Candace Jack has an intricate history of her own, and her family rivals the Hayes for putting the fun in dysfunction. She has a Spaniard, Luis, living with her, and she decorates her large home in the brilliant colors and bullfighting paintings of Spain. It turns out that Candace had loved one of Spain’s most artistic torreos, Manuel Obrador. His death in the bullfighting ring in 1959 left her bereft, and she’s never recovered. But she did bring back to Pennsylvania the bull that killed Manuel, and the bull’s grandson now lives on her estate.

I adore the character of Kyle. He’s one of the sweetest teenage boys I’ve ever met. He’s inquisitive, artistic, empathic, and kind, but he still maintains the voracious appetite and ogling of girls characteristic of his age and gender.

Klint, on the other hand, is not so sweet. He’s morose and haunted, harboring a life-threatening secret.

Tawni O’Dell is a master of metaphor. Here are some of my favorites:

“All three of the (bulls) are massive coal-black monsters with sharply pointed upturned white horns that look like they’d slide through a grown man’s chest as easily as a power drill through butter” (p. 137)

“…time passes more slowly at the beginning and ends of our lives. As children time is thick and sweet like syrup yet we can’t wait to get older. We enter adulthood and time escapes like water through an open hand. Then it slows again in the twilight years, becoming the congealed consistency of fat skimmed off a stewed chicken, and we have nothing left but to wait for death” (p. 288)

I also loved the author’s exploration of artists, whether they be bullfighters, painters, or baseball players.

“An artist doesn’t create in order to get money, or fame, or acceptance, or love. It’s a force inside him, something he must do or his soul will shrivel up and die” (p. 142)

I’m a former college athlete, and Ms. O'Dell totally nailed what happens to athletes who are depressed or suffering some sort of malaise:

“An accountant can be down in the dumps and still add up his daily figures. A teacher can be concerned about her sick mother and still assign chapters for her students to read. A truck driver can be angry at his spouse and still cover all the miles on his route. But an artist’s self is his work. If something is wrong with one, the other falls into decay. I imagine it’s the same for an athlete and his performance” (p. 152).

My only criticism is that the plot sagged a bit at the end of the second act. While I loved Candace and Luis, I didn’t find their points of view as appealing as Kyle’s.

Brilliant characterization, gripping emotions, a plot with depth and heart – this novel is a must read.

Both character driven and plot driven.

The first little bit of the listen seems off, until you get into the story. A great listen that will be good for those who like simpler easy reads (Grisham etc) and those who like a little more "meat" in their books (Richard Russo).

Both narrators are top notch.

A MUST READ!!!

This story was so heart wrenching and gripping on so many levels. The emotional investment I made was astronomical. The narration was outstanding. I beg you, please do not pass Fragile Beasts up without giving it a chance! You will refuse to put it down! I am forever indebted to Tawni O'Dell! Her perspective is quite unique and wildly insightful.

Tawni O'Dell Fan

I never know whether to trust reviewers or not, but you can trust that this is an excellent book to listen to in audio form. I am very unhappy that it is over and wish I could find something to enjoy as much as I have this book. All of her books except "Sister" have been page turners. She is a real story teller; don't expect "Crime and Punishment" but she is a good technical writer and never talks down. Her characters have realistic, not-contrived dialogue.You can't go wrong!

fabulous!

it's a study in HUMANS as I haven't read but in a few books, a joy!