Customer Reviews

The Blessings of the Animals: A Novel (P.S.)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book and a decidely positive (and fitting) follow up to the gripping and much darker "Kindness of Strangers." Kittle's story of love, forgiveness and personal committment has an enduring message about being true to yourself in order to find real happiness. We picked up this book and read it straight through in one day. Kittle's first book, "Traveling Light," showed the power of her literary voice in exploring complicated, layered interpersonal relationships, and "The Blessings of the Animals" is simply more evidence of her staying power as an author and story teller.

What a wonderful and incredible feeling to sit down with a book, open up the cover and instantly become engulfed within a story. That was exactly my experience with The Blessings of the Animals. I have been yearning to read Katrina Kittle for a while now and when the opportunity came to be part of her tour for The Blessings of the Animals, I was thrilled to death. Though this is my first book by Ms. Kittle, it will definitely not be my last.

It is a well known idea that animals have the power to heal and the bond between human and animal can be a very special and unbreakable one. The Blessings of the Animals takes that idea and creates a highly memorable and engrossing story that will ring within the reader's minds long after the book has been finished. Katrina Kittle's talent for creating realistic, heart-rendering and amazingly descriptive story prose draws the reader in and holds them tight until the very end. One such instance occurs in the beginning, on page 15:

"Helen filmed and I narrated in a voice that sounded tight and swollen no matter how many times I cleared my throat. "The mare ate the wood. She was eating her own stall in an attempt to survive. Look." With gloved hands, I pulled back the mare's upper lip and opened her jaw. "Her tongue and gums are full of splinters, and her mouth is full of manure."

The shouting, hammering, and barking continued as we filmed empty feed bins, an empty hayloft, empty water buckets.

I euthanized a black gelding and shipped off four other raggedy survivors with the last of the volunteers. Helen got on her cell, trying to round up more foster homes.

When I opened the last stall in this barn, two fillies stared at me from the dark, sweet eyes in deep hollows. Their hip bones pushed up so starkly that sores oozed where bone threatened to push through the skin, but their hearts and lungs sounded strong."

Just the wording created a visual that pulled at my heart and made me ache for these poor horses that had long been neglected.

Cami Anderson is a veterinarian whose talent and love for animals runs incredibly deep. Cami has long since had a visceral need for "highs" and the powerful rush of adrenalin, be it from adventurous undertakings, such as close encounters with tornados, starving herself or the rush she feels next to a powerful animal. This desire is what first brings her and her future husband, Bobby, together. However, after eighteen years of marriage and a wonderful seventeen-year-old daughter, Bobby's depression and restlessness leads him to suddenly leave his marriage and family behind. Caught in a tailspin, Cami must put the pieces of her life and the life of her daughter back together. While trying to come to peace with her life, Cami finds herself on a journey of life and relationship reflection.

I found myself very intrigued and connected to Cami. Not for any particular reason, but simply for the fact that she was so real, so human and so easy to connect with. The other characters of Cami's brother, Davy and his partner, David were also incredibly enjoyable. The Blessings of the Animals is a celebration of finding happiness in ones life and reiterating the powerful bonds and importance of animals. More often than not, it is an animal that can be the most faithful and dependable presence in ones life and The Blessings of the Animals is the perfect example of this.

Whether you are an animal lover or someone looking for an amazing story that will settle deeply into your heart and soul, The Blessings of the Animals is the perfect book to sink into. Katrina Kittle is an amazing voice in today's world of literature and has the staying power to bring years of reading pleasure to an enormous audience. I can't wait to read more works by Ms. Kittle and look forward to watching her amazing success climb.

Of course, as the title suggests, the animals play an important role through her hero journey. The animals in the story are really made 3 dimensional and of course, play a pivotal role in Cami's story. You end up really love these highly visual animal characters in this story and there is at least one tear jerking scene (but it isn't about death, to relax those like me who hate those stories).

Not only is this story about Cami's journey through divorce and how she is saved by her animals and friends, but it is a comment on marriage and love in general. It comments on those, like Cami, who learn that marriage is hard work and can be worth that work. It's also about those that want to be married just for the sake of marriage. This is not only on the part of the woman, but the man as well. There is even a bit about arranged marriage. Plus, there is also a big commentary on gay marriage and adoption. All of this seems like a lot to put in a book, but the way it was done it fits well because it follows Cami's discoveries of those issues.

My only complaint is about her boyfriends. They are wonderful characters until she dates them. Then, they start to become one-dimensional caricatures of themselves. For example, I didn't believe that Vijay, her childhood best friend, was such an insightful person and true friend only to become a totally blind and selfish boyfriend so quickly and throughly. Vijay was my biggest disappointment.

I give this book 4 stars and I do recommend this book. I'm also glad that this book is based on animals that she knew in real life.

what a pleasant surprise of a book!?! i really enjoyed the story, the character, the writing - everything was wonderful, and despite its bulk, it read fairly quickly and easily. spunky and full of emotional nuggets of wisdom, this was a book that left me immensely satisfied, both as a reader and as a human being that loves her people and animals.

"Throughout my teens I'd flirt with starvation - as well as with rock climbing, flying lessons, hitchhiking and lots of solo travel, a variety of drugs, and boys with bad reputations."

the story centers on Camden (Cam or Cami for short), a sometimes reckless, but mostly passionate veterinarian who very much loves her work, who is also a mother and wife in a seemingly turbulent, but satisfying life. and then, without much warning or fanfare, her husband leaves, throwing their lives into the painful aftermath of divorce. but, Cam, being the ever-resilient superwoman type that she is, does her best to dust herself off and weather the storm and learn a bit about herself and others along the way.

through a whole slew of characters that i couldn't even begin to introduce, Cam wades through the divorce with her support system in tow. parents, in-laws, fellow co-workers, her gay brother and his partner (both named David), her best friend and fiancee, her daughter and her very smitten boyfriend, and on and on. and that's not even beginning to get into the animals. so, be prepared for the long list of characters! but, as much as it sounds daunting, it really wasn't. each person and every animal had their place and it wasn't overdone or excessive somehow.

so, as the title would suggest, animals definitely have a portion of the spotlight in the story. Moonshot, in particular, a tragic and temperamental rescue horse comes into Cam's life on the same day that her husband leaves, giving Cam an outlet for her frustration, allowing her to nurture and care for something other than her own damaged self, if only for a while. but, in addition to Moonshot is the crazy goat that won't stay put and the three-legged cat that purrs its way into the readers heart. there's even a crazy cat lady, since any animal related story wouldn't be quite complete without one!

in addition to the dynamics of our relationships with animals, Kittle definitely takes a good, hard look at human relationships and the institution of marriage from various angles. the endless list of characters are almost all presented in their relationship form. the obvious divorce of Cam and Bobby strikes up the traditional marriage situation, but also the Davids (legally unable to marry) and Helen and Hank (who choose to remain happily unmarried), and even Cam's parents celebrating their epic 50th wedding anniversary (having survived infidelity, no less) all provide varying perspectives of relationships. the stability and ultimate happiness of any relationship comes, obviously, from within the people rather than the institution itself and Kittle does a great job of portraying this, as well as the opposing strengths that do inevitably exist within the sanctity of marriage.

but, ultimately, Kittle writes about the strength that exists in humans to overcome, to forgive, and to nurture, through parenting or doctoring or cooking, or whatever. it doesn't really matter how, but we are all capable somehow of supporting those people in our lives that we love, in times of need and in times of joy, and Kittle couldn't have made that message any clearer.

this would make a great addition to any summer reading pile and i would definitely recommend it, not only for animal lovers or parents or divorcees, but for anyone that believes that emotional hardship can and should make you a better, stronger person.

At the very beginning of their relationship, Bobby and the delicious food he prepares rescue Cami from her very dangerous battle with anorexia. Cami Anderson always realized that her marriage to chef and restaurant owner Bobby Binardi was less than perfect. But she tries to keep things from spinning out of control during his frequent volatile and dark moods. When he announces "I don't want to be married anymore" and walks out the door after 18 years of marriage, Cami is bewildered and hurt. She is left to explain Bobby's actions to their 17-year-old daughter and all their relatives and friends. Bobby takes up with a very young waitress from his restaurant who had also worked in Cami's animal clinic. Naturally she feels betrayed.

Cami finds herself examining everyone's relationship --- her parents' almost 50-year marriage, which she knows contains infidelity and forgiveness, her gay brother's committed relationship, even her daughter's dating habits --- to try to make sense of what makes a relationship work, and if and when it should be allowed to die a natural death. As she pursues a complicated relationship with a lifelong friend, Vijay, and spends time with a divorce-weary musician, still she agonizes over how (or even if) her marriage could have been saved.

Cami's solace and form of prayer is "being in the presence of animals." As a volunteer for the Humane Society, she often participates in the rescue of damaged and abused animals. Her barn and home are rapidly filling up with pets and rescues. Her pets, some of whom are rescues originally, are soon joined by more rescues: Gerald, an orange stray cat she rescues from an animal trap, whose leg she has to amputate to save him; Moonshot, an untamed horse who kicks at her and bites her forearm, but also teaches her some important life lessons as he continually challenges her; Zuzu, a boxer puppy dumped on her by Bobby not long after she performs lifesaving surgery on the little guy; and a pregnant donkey named Luna. Here we have a barn full of misfits, all of whom require the loving care Cami can provide nearly as much as she needs to be useful and busy in the joyful presence of her animals.

Cami soon learns how messy life can be. Bobby and his young lover separate; then, in Las Vegas, he marries someone he has known for only two days. Vijay and Cami's lifelong friendship unravels. Her brother Davy and his partner attempt adoption. And Cami is startled to find out who has strayed in her parents' marriage.

In this fourth novel by Katrina Kittle --- the critically acclaimed author of THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS --- readers will realize just how very complicated relationships are and that what looks like a perfect situation from the outside really may not be so on the inside. Perhaps Cami's advice would be: Proceed --- with caution.

This is, quite simply, a beautifully written novel of love, loss, healing, and forgiveness - and, gratitude! There's no fancy-schmancy pants convoluted language, just authentic writing that had me hooked from the first sentence to the last.

Satisfying. Heart-warming. Soulful. Katrina Kittle has written an engaging story that takes you on a journey of self-discovery. Cami Anderson must come to terms with the fact that her life has forever changed when her husband blind-sides her and abruptly leaves after eighteen years of marriage. Through the murky waters of betrayal, love, and the intricacies of relationships--humans as well as animals--Cami learns to navigate this new life she didn't ask for one step at a time. She finds solace in her work as a veterinarian, the rescue animals that she fosters, and the support of her family and girlfriends. Emergency GNO (girls night out) meetings help Cami keep things in perspective as she moves from disbelief, to anger, and ultimately a life of new beginnings. Along the way she takes note of her parent's marriage and their upcoming fifty year anniversary party, of her daughter learning to navigate the ups and downs of young love, and of the difficulties that her brother and his partner face in trying to build their own life together. Cami asks herself some tough questions about love and marriage and commitment, the answers to which make her more determined than ever to live life honestly.

More importantly though, is what she learns from the animals in her care. A three-legged cat, an impossible goat and an angry horse teach her more about trust, resilience and finding her true path than anything else can. Through them, her 'church' as she lovingly calls them, she reaches a place of peace and empowerment even though the future is uncertain and love has no guarantee of happily ever after. Where she was lost, now she is found. Who knew that deep heartache would become the springboard to unexpected happiness and hope for the future?

Grab this book for your next Book Club selection, or read it for yourself girlfriends. The characters, barnyard or farmhouse, are as real and multi-faceted as you or I. You won't be disappointed.

*I received a free copy of this book to review from Maria of Girlfriendbooks.com

This book has completely changed my outlook on life.

Anyone who has ever been in love, experienced heartache, considered marriage, considered singledom, and/or anyone who has ever experienced the healing power of an animal needs to read this book.

Katrina understands relationships. She also understands the responsibility that you hold over your own happiness. This novel will teach you lessons that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

I cannot recommend this book any more. Thank you Katrina for sharing this with us.

The Blessings of the Animals is a novel about relationships - mostly marriage but also parental, sibling, and friends. And then there's the love of and responsibility to animals. Katrina Kittle shows the beauty of being faithful to the people (and animals) in one's life and the fallout when that doesn't happen. She also shows that being faithful to someone and making him/her content are not the same thing. In the end, we are responsible for our own feelings of contentment.

The animals in the book are wonderful. They made me laugh out loud and also had me tearing up. I don't want to give away any of the joy in learning about them so I'll just say I felt as emotional about them as I did the human characters. Cami is a veterinarian and there is nothing she won't do for the animals. What the animals give to her is what she would hope to receive from the people in her life. It would have been so easy for her to just shut down when her life changes abruptly but Kittle gives us a woman who rises to meet her responsibilities to her daughter, her friends, and her job. It's hard but she gives it her best and in doing that she starts her life moving in a new direction.

I didn't plan to read this book as quickly as I did but I was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed all the characters and adored the animals. The Blessings of the Animals will be on my 2010 Favorite Books list. It would be a great selection for a book club.

After reading "The Kindness of Strangers," which I think is a powerful novel, I was eager to read this latest Katrina Kittle novel. And I have been really disappointed. I cannot agree with any of the five-star and four-star reviews posted here. This is a highly predictable novel that is very choppy. I love the use of the em dash, but Ms. Kittle overly uses it, making reading like driving on a rut-filled dirt road. Then there are the issues of these totally unbelievable characters, clueless characters. The novel is supposed to be a feel-good-about-animals read I guess. The protagonists, a vet, loves all animals and takes in all the strays, all the rejects, and simutaneously deals with all the issues of the husband who leaves her, the problems her only child, a teenager faces, the old flame back in the picture and all the sappy people who are her colleagues and friends. I just get the sense that "The Kindess of Strangers" drained the author and she decided she would write something in a lighter vein. But in doing so, she has tarnished her reputation as a good novelist for this reader. My two-star is a generous one. I really should have done a one-star because this is nothing but a melodrama, something that would make one of those feel-good C-rated movies. Or a telenovela.