Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Amazon and the San Francisco Chronicle Longlisted for the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere (Foreign Authors) “[A] galloping great read... [a] genuine work of art.” —Porter Shreve, San Francisco Chronicle, front-page review Bill Reed manages a wildlife sanctuary in rural Idaho, caring for injured animals unable to survive in the wild —raptors, a wolf, and his beloved bear, Majer, among them. He hopes to marry the local vet and live out a quiet life, until a childhood friend is released from prison and threatens to reveal Bill’s darkest secrets. Suddenly forced to confront his criminal past, Bill battles fiercely to preserve both the shelter and his hard-won new identity. Alternating between the past and the present, The Animals builds powerfully toward the revelation of Bill’s defining betrayal—and the drastic lengths he’ll go to in order to escape the consequences.

From national bestselling author Nick McDonell, The Council of Animals is a captivating fable for humans of all ages—dreamers and cynics alike—who believe (if nothing else) in the power of timeless storytelling. “‘Now,’ continued the cat, ‘there is nothing more difficult than changing an animal’s mind. But I will say, in case I can change yours: humans are more useful to us outside our bellies than in.’” Perhaps. After The Calamity, the animals thought the humans had managed to do themselves in. But, it turns out, a few are cowering in makeshift villages. So the animals—among them a cat, a dog, a crow, a baboon, a horse, and a bear—have convened to debate whether to help the last human stragglers . . . or to eat them. Rest assured, there is a happy ending. Sort of. Featuring illustrations by Steven Tabbutt

"The souls of ten animals caught up in human conflicts over the last century, and connected to both famous and little-known writers in surprising ways, tell their astonishing stories of life and death"--

“[A] beautifully crafted novel….A must-read not only for animal lovers, but for anyone who has found the courage to come back from heartbreak and find love again, without reservation, without fear.” —Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants “A marvelous page-turner, a story of an unexpected heartbreak and the unexpected blessings that result. I didn’t want to put this book down!” — Ellen Baker, author of Keeping the House “Wonderfully poignant characters and a deeply satisfying exploration of love in its many incarnations…make this novel Katrina Kittle’s most insightful yet.” —Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Tomorrow River From Katrina Kittle, the critically acclaimed author of The Kindness of Strangers, comes The Blessings of the Animals—a wry, engrossing, and moving story of a veterinarian’s journey through the aftermath of divorce amidst a motley crew of beasts.

Describes a world where the handicapped are classed as "mongrels" and factory-farmed, in the wake of mass extinctions of animal food sources, and follows the events that unfold when the Stinson family takes in an abandoned mongrel boy.