“Thistragicomicnovelisheartfelt,touching,anddelightfullyquirky.You’llfallinlovewiththeoffbeatcastofcharacters(bothlivinganddead)andfindyourselfrootingforthemrightthroughthelastpage.“--GoodHousekeeping(BookClubpick)Alostyoungwomanreturnstosmall-townNewHampshireunderthestrangestofcircumstancesinthisone-of-a-kindnoveloflife,death,andwhatevercomesafterfromtheacclaimedauthorofRabbitCake.ONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEAR:TheWashingtonPost,BookRiot-LonglistedfortheJoyceCarolOatesPrizeItwasasourceofentertainmentatMapleStreetCemetery.Bothfunnyandsad,thekindofstorywelikebest.Natural-bornhealerEmmaStarlingoncehadbigplansforherlife,butshe’slostherway.Amedicalschooldropout,she’scomebacktosmall-townEverton,NewHampshire,tocareforherfather,whoisdyingfromamysteriousbraindisease.CliveStarlinghasbeenhallucinatingsmallanimals,aswellashavingvisionsoftheghostofalong-deadnaturalist,ErnestHaroldBaynes,onceknownforlettingwildanimalsliveinhishouse.ThisghosthasbeengivingClivesomeideasonhowtospendhisfinaldays.Emmaarriveshomeknowingshemustfaceherdad’sillness,hermom’sjudgment,andheryoungerbrother’srecentstintinrehab,butshe’sunpreparedtofindthatherformerbestfriendfromhighschoolismissing,withnoonebotheringtolookforher.Thepolicesaytheydon’tspendmuchtimelookingfordrugaddicts.Emma’sdadistheonlyoneconvincedtheyoungwomanmightstillbealive,andEmmaishopefulhecouldberight.Someoneshouldlookforher,atleast.Emmaisn’treallytryingtobeahero,butsomehowsheandherfatherbringaboutjustthekindofmiraclethetownneeds.Setagainstthebackdropofasmalltowninthethroesofaveryrealopioidcrisis,UnlikelyAnimalsisatragicomicnovelaboutfamilialexpectations,imperfectfriendships,andthepossibilityofresurrectingthatwhichhadbeenthoughtirrevocablylost.
