Dog Park: A Novella

Jaicks's (Driving Home) subdued story follows James, a man who dabbles in carpentry and works as a college janitor. James moved to an unnamed town "out east" during his "dark years" to seek help from an undisclosed "place." Though his "sadness hadn't left him completely," he finds solace in the companionship of his golden retriever, Benny, and the people he meets at the local dog park. These include Claire, an effervescent young woman; Pete, a restaurateur and relentless jokester; Pierre, who teaches cooking classes; and Davita, a Polish woman who (improbably) gives birth to a baby on a park bench. These friendships brighten and enrich James's life, and he comes to realize that "just as Davita had given birth, so had he to himself. He was a different person now." Jaicks's imagery is sometimes baffling; returning from a trip to his Illinois hometown, James "arrived at his house that seemed to kiss the new air like opening the tight seal on a refrigerator." With almost no teenage characters, this pensive, offbeat tale of self-exploration is better suited to adult than YA readers. Ages 12%E2%80%93up.