In this USA Today bestselling debut novel, Neil Abramson explores the beauty and redemptive power of human-animal relationships and the true meaning of communication in all of its diverse forms.As a veterinarian, Helena was required to choose when to end the lives of the terminally ill animals in her care. Now that she has died, she is afraid to face them and finally admit to herself that her … her thirty-seven years of life were meaningless, error-ridden, and forgettable. So Helena lingers, a silent observer haunted by the life she left behind-her shattered attorney husband, David; her houseful of damaged but beloved animals; and her final project, Cindy, a chimpanzee trained to use sign language who may be able to unlock the mysteries of animal communication and consciousness.
When Cindy is scheduled for a research experiment that will undoubtedly take her life, David must call upon everything he has learned from Helena to save her. In the explosive courtroom drama that follows, all the threads of Helena’s life entwine and tear as Helena and David confront their mistakes, grief, and loss and discover what it really means to be human.
Abramson’s next novel, JUST LIFE, published in May 2016.
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I picked this book up because of the dog on the front. But this book is a detailed story about things left unsaid by a loved one who has passed on. There are animals in the book, horses, dogs, pigs and others. One issue that the book does deal with is the letting go of a sick pet. There are doctors, research assistances, lawyers and vets in …
Oh, this book! It was exquisite. It made me think, it made me cry, it made me want to turn the page and I’m still thinking about it now. It resonated in my heart and changed the way I think about the deaths of my own animals, veterinarians’ hearts, and how sentient animals are. I would say the book is haunting me, but in a good way.
The …
Oh, this book! It was exquisite. It made me think, it made me cry, it made me want to turn the page and I’m still thinking about it now. It resonated in my heart and changed the way I think about the deaths of my own animals, veterinarians’ hearts, and how sentient animals are. I would say the book is haunting me, but in a good way.
The …
This story is told by a woman named Helena who has died from cancer. She keeps an eye on her grieving husband and his now responsibility to care for all of her animals. He is more than reluctant to care for their 3 dogs, several cats, pig, and two horses, but he does it for Helena. He finally hires help so that he can return to his life as an …