Unlikely Animals

A Novel

By: Annie Hartnett

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Kirby Heyborne

Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

“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

Critic reviews

“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

Most delightful book I’ve read in years

In the first few minutes I knew I would like this book. The story really defies a specific genre, and the characters, including the “greek chorus” of townspeople were rich and realistic. I felt like I was getting to know real people. There are many different subplots that initially seem unrelated but the author weaves them together so that every surprise or new development has a solid foundation. Also the narrator’s voice was so comforting I would listen to most anything he’s read. I will now read her first novel immediately and look forward to whatever is next.

Delightful

I loved everything about this book: story, characters, narration. It’s heartwarming and quirky in all the right ways. Highly recommended.

I love this book

There was not a flaw in this delightful book. I am sad that it had to end.

Quirky and Interesting

This story featuring ghostly narrators was a kick. The tale of a happenings in small town New Hampshire is historical fiction with a heavy emphasis on fiction. But I thought it was very well done, funny, sad, and very unique. I enjoyed the well defined characters and the way they were all seemingly so different but all part of this same community.

Creative point of view

Well, researched piece of fiction, but maybe too many side stories. Well written, believable dialogue.

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.

Unlikely Animals was wonderful

wasn't sure if I was going to like this strange tale but it was wonderful, totally enjoyed it..

Engaging!

Thoroughly enjoyed this quirky, laugh-out loud tale of humanity and love and being there for each other.

Delightful story and characters

This book landed for me as a kind and quirky mix of delight, fantasy, and hopefulness with some real gritty issues and complexity handled in an easily palatable manner.