Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

 

#UnlikelyAnimals by Annie Hartnett is so sweet & charming, I just loved it! Well developed (and likable) characters that are funny, troubled, confused, frustrated and all the other emotions of life mixed in while they all try to do the best they can with what they are dealt. 

When Emma was young she had “the gift of touch” which has failed her in adult life as she struggles to maintain the charade of attending medical school while she flounders doing nothing. Called back to her small-town upbringing because her father is dying, Emma learns to reconnect with her past and finds hope and encouragement along the way. 

There’s so much more to this story than Emma. The whole town is involved, even the lovely spirits down at the Maple Street cemetery. Sitting on their graves, cheering on (or at least observing) the goings-on of their beloved small town. Then there’s all the animals, real & imagined, that accompany our main characters through thick & thin. There’s even a mystery twist and a few romances thrown in! This book addresses it all without getting too dark with the harder parts of life. Without a doubt a must-read for 2022. Don’t miss the authors note at the beginning (or the one at the end) to find out the interesting historical accuracies that are woven into Unlikely Animals. (Makes the whole book so much more fun!)

Thank you to #Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.