Katrina Kittle

Katrina Kittle has attempted to address a subject that very few authors would even consider writing about, let alone be able to accomplish in a novel with such grace and empathy as The Kindness of Strangers. You don't have to have been a victim of incest to understand and experience the terror, shame and confusion that young Jordan is subject to in this eerily accurate account of familial sexual abuse. As the author gives us access to the thoughts and feelings of three main characters and show more their different reactions to the plot, via assigning them their own chapters in rotation, we get a full circle view of the goings on in this devastating story, and how so many are affected by its brutality. I would only recommend this novel to those who have thick skin, as the content is harsh and reprehensible. That being said, child pornography and paedophilia are a tragic reality, and the only way to try to and catch more predators is to educate society on its ugly face. The Kindness of Strangers is about resilience, righteousness and redemption, and for those that can handle it, should not be missed.

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Vivian is grieving the loss of her husband and contemplating suicide when a series of events conspires to give her a reason to live. Her favorite nurse, Luna, is facing homelessness with two children (one in a wheelchair) and everyone is facing lockdown because of covid-19. Vivian invites this family to live with her. This is definitely a character driven novel - we watch Vivian cope with grief, and Luna's family cope with a broken family, poverty, and unrealized expectations. But watching show more them (along with a gay neighbor couple) create a sense of community and family is very rewarding and feels very realistic as they each cope with challenging life circumstances. Really liked it. And it brought back very real memories of my time during the pandemic. show less

My sister is a vet. My brother-in-law is a vet. We have more than the usual number of vet friends. We are surrounded by vets and by the animals who need them. There's something of a mystique about their jobs despite the fact that my sister says 90% of being a vet is about "ears and rears." Two good reasons I could never have been a vet myself. Well, that and the whole biology class thing. But if I can't be a vet in real life, I still have a real affinity for vet stories and an even greater show more affinity for stories that include animals. Kittle's latest novel after Traveling Light, Two Truths and a Lie, and The Kindness of Strangers, deftly handles both while closely entwined with issues of love and marriage and the definition of a successful relationship.

Cami Anderson is a successful vet who volunteers for animal rescues. She and her husband have hit a rough patch in their marriage but Cami is shocked when she comes home from a particularly emotionally grueling rescue to find that Bobby is leaving her. That her admittedly stagnant marriage is over completely blindsides her and is especially painful as the true reality of their estrangement comes to light. While she grieves the loss of her own marriage, she watches her parents celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, watches her soon-to-be-ex-sister-in-law plan the extravagant wedding she thought would never come, and watches her brother and his partner fight to adopt a baby into a relationship that can't be legally recognized. Into the mix, her almost grown daughter is having her own relationship troubles, spurred on by the collapse of her parents' marriage. And Cami herself is skittish about starting a new relationship either with her best friend or with a like-minded stranger.

Equally weighted with the human drama in the novel are the cases that Cami sees in her clinic and on rescues. She knows that she can always rely on animals to ground her and to offer her unconditional love and trust, even when they have been so abused that they are broken almost beyond repair. In healing the desperate animals, she will perhaps learn to heal herself and open her heart to chance, even knowing that not every man will be worthy of that chance. Cami finds her peace with her animals, learns to let go (both in actuality and emotionally), takes a chance, and appreciates the beauty of being happy in the present.

A quick and engaging read, this novel not only focuses on marriage and the questions that a commitment of that magnitude can raise but also on happiness and finding fulfillment in life, chasing the things that are important and recognizing that just because something is familiar, it isn't necessarily the right or best thing. The characters, both large and small, are engaging and diverse, all adding important puzzle pieces to the whole of the book. And Cami, as the main character, shows significant, satisfying growth. The storyline was appealing, unpredictable but fitting. The pacing was quite good, never rushed and never drawn out. The themes are serious and yet leavened with humor. Animal lovers will relate to the story and Cami. Book clubs will love this offering, giving just enough to discuss but also enough for members to relate to in their own lives as well. I finished it with a smile and a warm spot in my heart for Cami and her animals. Sensitive readers will want to know that there are horrific descriptions of animal abuse contained within but these are never gratuitous and serve to highlight not only the terrible things people do to our fellow creature but also to show how even the most ill-used can be rehabilitated and learn to trust and love again. show less

It took me a while to begin reading this book, even though I love reading Katrina Kittles work. The reason is that I knew this was a book about child pornography and incest.
Once I started though, I could not put it down. I read the book in two days, desperately hoping Jordan's parents would be caught and sent to jail, praying Jordan would finally feel safe and secure in his new home. Yet I knew this was fiction. That is the power of good story telling and Katrina Kittle is a master of show more characterization. Her story people do not feel like characters, they feel very real.
This is a story that may stick with you long after you have reached the final page. show less