Unlikely Animals

A Novel

De: Annie Hartnett

Narrado por: Mark Bramhall, Kirby Heyborne

“This tragicomic novel is heartfelt, touching, and delightfully quirky. You’ll fall in love with the offbeat cast of characters (both living and dead) and find yourself rooting for them right through the last page.”—Good Housekeeping (Book Club pick)

A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after from the acclaimed author of Rabbit Cake.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Book Riot • Longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize

It was a source of entertainment at Maple Street Cemetery. Both funny and sad, the kind of story we like best.

Natural-born healer Emma Starling once had big plans for her life, but she’s lost her way. A medical school dropout, she’s come back to small-town Everton, New Hampshire, to care for her father, who is dying from a mysterious brain disease. Clive Starling has been hallucinating small animals, as well as having visions of the ghost of a long-dead naturalist, Ernest Harold Baynes, once known for letting wild animals live in his house. This ghost has been giving Clive some ideas on how to spend his final days.

Emma arrives home knowing she must face her dad’s illness, her mom’s judgment, and her younger brother’s recent stint in rehab, but she’s unprepared to find that her former best friend from high school is missing, with no one bothering to look for her. The police say they don’t spend much time looking for drug addicts. Emma’s dad is the only one convinced the young woman might still be alive, and Emma is hopeful he could be right. Someone should look for her, at least. Emma isn’t really trying to be a hero, but somehow she and her father bring about just the kind of miracle the town needs.

Set against the backdrop of a small town in the throes of a very real opioid crisis, Unlikely Animals is a tragicomic novel about familial expectations, imperfect friendships, and the possibility of resurrecting that which had been thought irrevocably lost.

©2022 Annie Hartnett (P)2022 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A quirky, poignant novel about family, community and love for our animal friends.”—The Washington Post

“This is a big novel doing big things. It bears some similarity to Hartnett’s much- loved first novel, Rabbit Cake. . . . But Unlikely Animals is a broader, brassier, and even more fiercely tender story. In this, her second novel, Hartnett lands an astonishing leap as a storyteller.”—The Rumpus

“Wistfully charming . . . This unapologetically genre-bending tribute to life and death, and the beautiful weirdness found in both, has potential to spark exceptional book club discussions.”—Shelf Awareness

Inventive , fresh, wonderfully narrated

What a surprising delight! I am seldom surprised by characters and story lines but this book, excellently narrated, does it all

great narration and story

loved this book. great narration and story. couldn't put it down until I was finushed.

Fine escapist story

This story meanders and entertains in a most imaginative way. Love the characters, especially the fifth graders.

I was laughing out loud at the storytelling

I really enjoyed this book. Very clever writing and fun characters. I would enthusiastically recommend.

Delightful book

I loved this quirky story, its complicated characters, and its interwoven storylines. It has such a deep sense of place and time.

The character development was seamless.

I enjoyed this book and will read it again. The authors sense of humor left me smiling from the beginning to the end.

A memorable cast of characters

About halfway through the book I was not overly impressed. I thought it was “fine” but nothing amazing. But that second half brought together this intricate, character driven storyline in truly delightful ways. The creative way the story is told, from the vantage point of the town’s graveyard residents, adds such a fun and insightful touch. Just truly marvelous all around!

Historical fiction with an extra something

Uplifting and life affirming without straying into sentimentality or saccharine, this is a beautiful little book

Charming book for animal lovers

This was such a fun read and I flew through it. The narration was brilliant and the characters are a lovely balance of realness and whimsy. A beautiful portrayal of the complexity of various relationships between humans and animals.

Love the characters and imagination

This book did exactly as I hoped. Didn't have to think too much, an easy listen, and, at the end, brought a smile in an otherwise busy day.