Macon Leary is a travel writer who hates traveling. He authors guidebooks for business travelers who want to feel as though they never left home, focusing on finding American food and familiar hotels in foreign cities. Following the murder of his teenage son and the subsequent departure of his wife, Sarah, Macon retreats into a rigid routine of extreme order and emotional isolation in his Baltimore home. His sterile life changes when an unruly Welsh Corgi necessitates the help of Muriel Pritchett, a disorganized and vibrant dog trainer from a lower-class neighborhood. Macon must choose between the comfort of his familiar grief and the messy, unpredictable vitality Muriel offers.
Readers who appreciate detailed character studies set in domestic environments choose this book to observe the mechanics of bereavement and recovery. It appeals to those interested in the friction between different social classes and the ways personality quirks dictate life choices. A reader walks away with an understanding of how grief manifests as physical habit and how a person can consciously decide to participate in the world again after a period of withdrawal. It provides a specific look at the tension between the desire for safety and the necessity of human connection.
Inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1985
- Language
- EN
