The Animals by Cary Fagan

​There’s a right way to do a sort of slice-of-life-thread-through-with-whimsy story and Fagan absolutely nailed it in Animals.
Set in a quaint sleepy village that time if not forgot than maybe just didn’t hit quite as potently as some other places, this is a story of a place that had a terrible idea. The idea being allowing wild animals to stay with people. Randomly.
Of course, it’s all going to go to doodoo, but until then…
Until then, this is a story of a model maker named Dorn. A quiet unassuming man leading a quiet unassuming life and quietly pining away for a local schoolteacher.
For all his quiet charm, Dorn, much like this novel, wins you over easily and complete engages your attention. You’ll care about his journey, the people he meets, the difficult brother he contends with. A perfect protagonist, really.
And there’s something perfect about this novel too. Or maybe it just hit all the right notes for me. Either way, it was an absolute pleasure to read. Just a lovely, immersive, transporting experience, though it went by very quickly.
I’ve never heard of the author before (he’s Canadian), but this was a most auspicious introduction. A charming book through and through and not at all sappy or twee as these things tend to be. Great read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.