A Curious Host

by Nanette L. Avery

A Curious Host follows a scavenging yellow dog, our improbable protagonist, as he wanders his way in and out of the lives of residents living in a place identified only as “the plain town.” Skillfully presented, each chapter is a vignette where past and present are intertwined and the true nature of time is artfully captured. The characters include a young waitress living out of her car, a cigar-smoking poker-playing widow, a white-haired biologist, and the dog’s owner who persistently pursues his lost animal. As readers journey through each separate, but related scene, a startling truth something is killing the not-so-ordinary citizens of the small and outwardly simple community. Unwilling to accept this as coincidence, the town’s doctor searches for a pattern—some connection that links the deaths together—before it’s too late. Avery masterfully weaves humor, nostalgia, clear-eyed observation, and dispassionate reflection to create an exploration of themes as old as time itself, including companionship, salvation, immortality, the tension between choice and chance, and the struggle to find meaning in an existence seemingly defined by fate and the natural cycles of life, death, and renewal.

210 pages, Paperback

Published July 22, 2016

About the author

“In the twenty-first century we seldom find time to pause…for without “think time” we are merely subjects of our reactions to things and others. Reading invites a moment to ponder….to reflect… to disagree… to discuss… and then go beyond…”

Nanette L. Avery lives outside Nashville in the beautiful state of Tennessee. Novelist and short story writer, best known for her historical fiction, Orphan in America. Her nickname Nan is a palindrome and her favorite pastime is watching International films with a glass of red wine. #amwriting

Reviews

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. I loved the characters, the setting, and the feel of the writing. I didn't like the randomness that certain parts of the story seemed to have, the choppy transitions between one narrative voice and the next, and the strange unsatisfying ending. At times a 4 and at times a 2...so 3 stars it is.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Winesburg Ohio this is for you. Excellent read!