IN HER STUNNING DEBUT, KYLE PRODUCES AN EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL COMING-OF-AGE STORY THAT DEFTLY AND MOVINGLY CAPTURES NOT ONLY THE COMPLEXITY OF LOVE, LOSS, AND HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS BUT ALSO THE FIERCE AND POWERFUL BOND BETWEEN HORSES AND HUMANS. FROM AN AWARD-WINNING AND TALENTED YOUNG NOVELIST COMES ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING FICTION DEBUTS IN YEARS: A BREATHTAKING AND BEAUTIFUL NOVEL SET ON A HORSE RANCH IN SMALL-TOWN COLORADO. WHEN HER OLDER SISTER RUNS AWAY TO MARRY A RODEO COWBOY, ALICE WINSTON IS LEFT TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF HER FAMILY`S TROUBLES X A DEPRESSED, BEDRIDDEN MOTHER; A RETICENT, OVERWORKED FATHER; AND A RUN-DOWN HORSE RANCH. AS THE HOTTEST SUMMER IN FIFTEEN YEARS UNFOLDS AND BILLS PILE UP, ALICE IS TORN BETWEEN DREAMS OF ESCAPING THE LONELINESS OF HER DUTY-FILLED LIFE AND A LONGING TO HELP HER FATHER MEND THEIR FAMILY AND THE RANCH. TO MAKE ENDS MEET, THE WINSTONS BOARD THE PAMPERED HORSES OF RICH NEIGHBORS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME ALICE CONFRONTS THE POWER AND SECURITY THAT CLASS AND WEALTH PROVIDE. AS HER FAMILY AND THEIR WELL-BEING BECOME INTERTWINED WITH THE LIVES OF THEIR CLIENTS, ALICE IS DRAWN INTO AN ADULT WORLD OF SECRETS AND HARD TRUTHS, AND SOON DISCOVERS THAT PEOPLE X INCLUDING HERSELF X CAN BE CRUEL, CAN LIE AND CHEAT, AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, CAN DO SOMETHING HEARTBREAKING AND SELFLESS. ULTIMATELY, ALICE AND HER FAMILY MUST WEATHER A DEVASTATING BETRAYAL AND A SHOCKING, VIOLENT SERIES OF EVENTS THAT WILL TEST THEIR LOVE AND PROVE THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS. A WISE AND ASTONISHING NOVEL ABOUT THE DIFFERENT GUISES OF LOVE AND THE OFTEN STEEP TOLLS ON THE ROAD TO ADULTHOOD, "THE GOD OF ANIMALS" IS A HAUNTING, UNFORGETTABLE DEBUT.
ही गोष्ट आहे, बारा वर्षांच्या अ‍ॅलिस विंस्टनची! मोठी बहीण लग्नासाठी घरातून पळून गेलेली, सतत अंथरुणाला खिळलेली मानसिक रुग्ण असलेली आई अन् तापट, घुम्या स्वभावाचे वडील – हे तिचं कुटुंब. जोडीला मोडकळीस आलेला घोड्यांचा तबेला. गुजराण करण्यासाठी विंस्टन कुटुंबीय इतरांच्या घोड्यांची देखभाल करण्याचा निर्णय घेतात. त्या घोड्यांच्या मालकांशी (बहुतेक स्त्रिया!) त्यांच्या आयुष्याशी विलक्षण भावनिक गुंतागुंत होते. लहानगी अ‍ॅलिस शाळेत असतानाच वयाने मोठ्या असलेल्या माणसाच्या प्रेमात पडते. त्यातला आनंद मिळवत असतानाच, कठोर वास्तवाची तिला जाणीव होते. क्रौर्य, खोटेपणा, फसवणूक याबरोबरच कमालीचा चांगुलपणा, हळवेपणा प्रत्येकात असतो, याचीही जाणीव तिला या प्रवासात होते. पौगंडावस्थेतल्या निसरड्या वाटेवरची स्वप्नाळू मुलीची वाटचाल अतिशय सुरेख रीतीने लेखिकेने वर्णन केली आहे. अद्भुत अनुभवांचा प्रत्यय देणारी अविस्मरणीय कादंबरी!