A funny, poignant, and uplifting canine tale.
Two astute pooches offer lessons in life, loss, love, and the power of positive thinking.
In this novel, readers meet Javi (officially named Java for his café au lait coloring), a purebred Shih Tzu, and Binah, a Havanese whose name means “understanding” in Hebrew. Their vocalizations may be limited to barks, growls, and whimpers, but these two adorable, furry creatures can read and write and frequently wax philosophical. Javi has already crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but he left behind a diary that Binah digs up in the backyard. Binah came into Javi’s life only a few months before his death, but she promised him she would tell his story to her friends. Stopler’s second novel, whimsical and imaginative, treats readers to the thoughts, pranks, and conversations among these two charmers and their canine friends. Be prepared for chuckles, a bit of magic, and, of course, some tears. Javi was born in 1999 and was fortunate to be able to spend two years with his Mama and his human family—Neha, Roger, and their two young children. But when the humans moved to a new house, much to Javi’s distress, they gave Mama away. Still, he learned some important survival lessons from her, most especially how to ignore the negative voice in his head that told him to misbehave—the voice that triggered “melon collie” and always got him into trouble. When Javi was 9 years old, Neha became overworked and stressed. She gave him to Tali, a young woman who once rescued him when he became lost. It was a match made in heaven. Tali and Javi were soul mates. She called him “mi amore”; he called her “my lady.” Through Tali, Javi found his “mission.” Binah joined them as a young pup two years later. In alternating chapters, Binah intersperses her own story, sharing with her friends the wisdom of her beloved “superhero” brother. This enjoyable escapist read for dog lovers, dotted with canine factoids, should also delight youngsters ready to move up to storytime chapter books. The enchanting work delivers a welcome distraction from today’s darkness and acrimony.
A funny, poignant, and uplifting canine tale.Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5413-1943-1
Page Count: 250
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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