Men and Dogs: A Novel

by Katie Crouch Narrated by Gabra Zackman

Overview

When Hannah Legare was 11, her father went on a fishing trip in the Charleston harbor and never came back. And while most of the town and her family accepted Buzz's disappearance, Hannah remained steadfastly convinced of his imminent return.

Twenty years later Hannah's new life in San Francisco is unraveling. Her marriage is on the rocks, her business is bankrupt. After a disastrous attempt to win back her husband, she ends up back at her mother's home to "rest up", where she is once again sucked into the mystery of her missing father. Suspecting that those closest are keeping secrets -- including Palmer, her emotionally closed, well-mannered brother and Warren, the beautiful boyfriend she left behind -- Hannah sets out on an uproarious, dangerous quest that will test the whole family's concepts of loyalty and faith.

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2011 - AudioFile

Hearing the innermost thoughts of a misguided character can be even more unsettling than reading them on the page—especially when the narrator’s performance is so convincing. Gabra Zackman portrays the irresponsible, self-destructive character of Hannah Legare with a calm, quiet vulnerability that makes the listener think that perhaps her story is worth hearing. Hannah’s entire existence is marred by her father’s mysterious disappearance when she was a child. Hannah’s estranged husband, ex-boyfriend, mother, gay brother and his lover, and even a dog are all affected by the loss and by Hannah’s tiresome inability to cope. Zackman slips between the characters effortlessly, depicting each one with sensitivity and grace. A hopeful ending brings a sigh of relief. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

Crouch's accomplished sophomore novel kicks off with a flashback: 20-odd years ago, Buzz Legare vanished while on a fishing trip. The fallout of his disappearance and presumed death appears in his 30-something children: Hannah drinks too much, her business is failing, and her husband has kicked her out after her repeated adultery. Hannah's gay brother, Palmer, refuses to let anyone get too close—he's ready to end his yearlong relationship when his partner brings up the idea of adopting a baby. After Hannah injures herself trying to break into her husband's apartment, she heads home to Charleston, S.C., to get her life back on track, but instead finds herself pursuing the past. Damaged and vulnerable, she zigzags through her past—an old boyfriend, questions about her parents' fidelity, and finally facing down where her unwillingness to accept love has gotten her. There's nothing unique about the premise—woman in crisis goes home and discovers herself by exhuming the past—but Crouch (Girls in Trucks) handles it deftly; her dialogue is snappy, the situations darkly funny, Hannah and Palmer are unlikable but sympathetic, and there's just enough mystery to keep the pages turning. (Apr.)

MARCH 2011 - AudioFile

Hearing the innermost thoughts of a misguided character can be even more unsettling than reading them on the page—especially when the narrator’s performance is so convincing. Gabra Zackman portrays the irresponsible, self-destructive character of Hannah Legare with a calm, quiet vulnerability that makes the listener think that perhaps her story is worth hearing. Hannah’s entire existence is marred by her father’s mysterious disappearance when she was a child. Hannah’s estranged husband, ex-boyfriend, mother, gay brother and his lover, and even a dog are all affected by the loss and by Hannah’s tiresome inability to cope. Zackman slips between the characters effortlessly, depicting each one with sensitivity and grace. A hopeful ending brings a sigh of relief. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170121410
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	04/12/2010
Edition description:	Unabridged

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