Book Review

Every Last Cuckoo available from Amazon

I just finished reading "Every Last Cuckoo" by Kate Maloy. Although not technically a critter story, the main character's dogs are woven throughout the book, while other scenes involve wild animals, and several cats. Therefore I feel the book contains enough animal activity to qualify as a Critter Alley book review candidate. (What can I say? I get to call the shots here!)

First, this isn't a new title, having been published in 2008. It won the ALA Reading List Award for Women's Fiction and has been chosen as a book club selection. The back cover and introductory pages are filled with praise from multiple reviewers. In other words, the book has been generally well received.

I'm on board with those who are impressed. I enjoyed the fact that the main character, Sarah, is a 75 year old woman instead of a young or middle aged person. That's unusual in novels these days.

The story paints a picture of a long and primarily happy marriage. Then Sarah's husband dies in a freak accident. She grieves deeply, but must come to terms with realizations about herself, her family, and friends.

Sarah ponders the question...do we become a different person after we lose a loved one? Do we invent a new life purpose after loss?

Her observations about aging and what she does to change her life creates an entertaining and insightful story. Although some parts of the tale were predictable, and so many characters were introduced that at times I lost track of who was who, in all I found the story to contain some true gems that really hit home for me.

If you're looking for a quick and enjoyable read that may have you thinking about your own life purpose, give "Every Last Cuckoo" a try.