“Unlikely Animals” by Annie Hartnett is a novel full of history, family drama, small town mysteries, humor, and personal growth. The plot sounded intriguing; Emma is a young woman born with what her family and friends call “the charm”. Growing up she was able heal minor ailments just by touching someone. After graduating college Emma returns to the small town she grew up in to figure out what she was gong to do with the rest of her life… her healing touch is gone. Another reason for returning home was to help care for her dying father. Upon returning home Emma learns that her former best friend has been missing for months.

Throughout the novel we learn more about Emma’s past family drama. A big part of the story relates to Emma’s father’s declining health. Clive is forced to retire from his college teaching job due to hallucinations of small animals and his frequent conversations with a ghost named Harold. Harold’s character is actually based on a real person, Ernest Harold Baynes. Excerpts from Harold’s published works are presented that help tie different parts of the novel together. Another unique thing about the novel is that the “narrators” are residents of the local cemetery. The inclusion of these characters serve to also help move the story forward.

I enjoyed the story and really wanted to see what happened to everyone. I could relate to Emma’s character feeling a little lost and unsure of what to do with her life. The mystery of what happened to her friend Crystal also pulled me in; I really wanted to see if there’d be any resolution (there was). The novel touches on a lot of important issues: family drama, forgiveness, figuring out what to do with your life, how the opioid crisis affects not only the person with addiction but their family as well. While these are all serious topics, the novel doesn’t feel too heavy. There are enough funny moments sprinkled throughout the story to keep it lighthearted. I gave it 4.5 stars for two main reasons. First, I felt like sometimes the historical excerpts from Harold’s work distracted the reader from the main story. But, maybe if I read it again they would make more sense. Second, the ending. Without giving away any spoilers I’ll just say that I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt. Everything was resolved neatly but I was still left with questions. I wish some things were expanded upon a bit more.