Author: Nick Trout
Publication Information: Hyperion. 2014. 336 pages.
ISBN: 1401310893 / 978-1401310899
Book Source: I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite Quote: "Be the person your dog expects you to be."
Please note that this book is a sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs. I have not read the first book, and feel that this book can stand on its own.
Dr. Cyrus Mills is a veterinary pathologist. He has returned home to the small town of Eden Falls, Vermont, to take over his father's clinic, Bedside Manor for Sick Animals. The clinic is struggling, as it competes with the nearby Healthy Paws, a franchise operation of a nationwide chain of animal care facilities.
My initial thought upon starting the book was .... James Herriot. However, as the book itself says, "The days of James Herriot are over. He's dead and buried, and with him went his fossilized style of practice." So, this is not James Herriot.
It is, however, a collection of oddball characters - both human and animal. It is a small town with all its small town flavor and intrigue. It is a small town local business fighting the "corporate" entity. It is one man adapting as life goes in a direction different than what he had envisioned, and that turns out to be a good thing.
My favorite character in the book is actually a dog - Stash. Stash is a service dog trained by the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS). NEADS is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to allow disabled and deaf individuals to attain independence with the assistance of a trained service dog. Stash's loyalty and attention to his service duties stand out as a key serious note in this otherwise light-hearted book.
The rest of the book is light-hearted, often funny, and very quick to read. The doctor treats his patients, deals with their sometimes eccentric owners, makes some mistakes but fixes them, fights the "big bad corporation", and tries to win over the girl.
Please note that this book is a sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs. I have not read the first book, and feel that this book can stand on its own.
Dr. Cyrus Mills is a veterinary pathologist. He has returned home to the small town of Eden Falls, Vermont, to take over his father's clinic, Bedside Manor for Sick Animals. The clinic is struggling, as it competes with the nearby Healthy Paws, a franchise operation of a nationwide chain of animal care facilities.
My initial thought upon starting the book was .... James Herriot. However, as the book itself says, "The days of James Herriot are over. He's dead and buried, and with him went his fossilized style of practice." So, this is not James Herriot.
It is, however, a collection of oddball characters - both human and animal. It is a small town with all its small town flavor and intrigue. It is a small town local business fighting the "corporate" entity. It is one man adapting as life goes in a direction different than what he had envisioned, and that turns out to be a good thing.
My favorite character in the book is actually a dog - Stash. Stash is a service dog trained by the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS). NEADS is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to allow disabled and deaf individuals to attain independence with the assistance of a trained service dog. Stash's loyalty and attention to his service duties stand out as a key serious note in this otherwise light-hearted book.
The rest of the book is light-hearted, often funny, and very quick to read. The doctor treats his patients, deals with their sometimes eccentric owners, makes some mistakes but fixes them, fights the "big bad corporation", and tries to win over the girl.
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