The Blessings of the Animals
by
Katrina Kittle (Goodreads Author)
From Katrina Kittle, critically acclaimed author of The Kindness of Strangers, comes a wry and moving story of forgiveness, flexibility, happiness, and the art of moving on.
Veterinarian Cami Anderson has hit a rough patch. Stymied by her recent divorce, she wonders if there are secret ingredients to a happy, long-lasting marriage or if the entire institution is outdate
...morePaperback, 464 pages
Published
August 3rd 2010
by William Morrow Paperbacks
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Mar 19, 2010
Erica
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Started it yesterday morning and already up to page 260. Loving.
Such a lovely book. Read it in a day and a half. Someone here described it as being like a really good romantic comedy, plus animals, which I think is apt. It's the story of Cami, a vet whose husband leaves her, but that description makes it sound more serious than it is--it's about serious things, but it's ultimately a more lighthearted and funny book. Though it did make me tear up once or twice, because the idea of animals nursing...more
Such a lovely book. Read it in a day and a half. Someone here described it as being like a really good romantic comedy, plus animals, which I think is apt. It's the story of Cami, a vet whose husband leaves her, but that description makes it sound more serious than it is--it's about serious things, but it's ultimately a more lighthearted and funny book. Though it did make me tear up once or twice, because the idea of animals nursing...more
Okay, this is not my kind of book. I admit that. But I gave it a try anyway, and I'm not surprised that I didn't like it.
It's told (mostly) from the point of view of Cami, a veterinarian whose husband leaves her one morning when she's out on a humane society rescue. This is a common theme for her: rescuing animals. Throughout the book, we learn that her husband has rescued her from anorexia, and finally, at the end, she learns to rescue herself and live happily without necessarily needing a man....more
It's told (mostly) from the point of view of Cami, a veterinarian whose husband leaves her one morning when she's out on a humane society rescue. This is a common theme for her: rescuing animals. Throughout the book, we learn that her husband has rescued her from anorexia, and finally, at the end, she learns to rescue herself and live happily without necessarily needing a man....more
From My Blog...[return][return]The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle is a beautiful woven tapestry of the many facets of love. Dr. Cami Anderson is a wife, mother, Veterinarian and a volunteer for the Humane Society. Cami believes her life is going fairly well until the morning she arrives home with a rescued horse and her husband Bobby announces he is leaving her and their 17-year-old daughter Gabriel. While the story is primarily told through Cami, the reader does get a glimpse into t...more
I am a sucker for stories about vets and the animals they care for. This was an advance I picked up at BEA this year and I liked the way it began. It actually reminded me of Susan Richard's memoir, Chosen by a Horse, in that the opening scene was of a woman going to take some abused horses from their environment. Caring for the horse helped the horsewoman through her own painful divorce. But this was fiction, and great friends and handsome men show up with food, support, and love...it was a fun...more
This is the best thing I've read in awhile, she's coming to our University in November, can't wait to meet her. I will read other books by her.
I loved reading this book, it was interesting, engaging and entertaining.
Theme: Marriage, the ins the outs, the ups and downs, emotional maturity and immaturity. The writing is very good.
I loved reading this book, it was interesting, engaging and entertaining.
Theme: Marriage, the ins the outs, the ups and downs, emotional maturity and immaturity. The writing is very good.
Don't let the three star rating make you think I didn't like this book. According to Goodreads, three stars means I liked it. Four stars would be "really liked it". I thought this book was good. Did I really like it? No. I appreciated its message of feminine independence and self-respect, but I ultimately had a hard time overlooking the weaker characters and the plodding pace of the story overall. Put in more simpler terms, it was a good character study, just a little too drawn out. Which made i...more
During the year-or-so around the unexpected breakup of her own marriage, many profound, jarring, and wonderful events take place in the close-knit circle of friends and family around veterinarian, mom, sister, friend, and newly-ex-wife Cami. Most such events relate in some thoughtful yet blunt way to marriage. Indeed, this compelling, packed-full domestic drama is largely an exploration of, and meditation on, the many significances of marriage. That, and how the connections between humans and an...more
I loved going on Cami's journey as she plows through the heartbreak of hearing her husband one day say that he is leaving the marriage after being unhappy for such a long time. Cami examines her motives for marrying Bobby in the first place and then what her life will be without him. Her first concern is to make sure her daughter remains in touch with her father and to also make sure that her daughter doesn't become completely soured on the idea of love and marriage. As Cami begins her journey t...more
I don't know how Katrina Kittle does it... this is the third book of hers that I've read (with her first published book recently added to my TBR) and I have absolutely adored all of them. The Blessings of the Animals was no exception. It's just something about the way she brings the characters to life and makes them (and everything about the novel) feel so genuine. There was just a certain quality to this book (and the others I've read) that sets it apart from many of the other books I've read,...more
I picked this up b/c I read almost every book out there that is animal-related. I saw that this book received 4-5 stars from everyone, so I thought it must be fantastic. However, I was slightly disappointed. There WERE some parts that were animal-focused, and what the cover described, as the main character goes through a divorce and heals, in part because of the relationships she has with her animals. But, I found that the majority of the book, about 9/10ths of it, was just a basic chick-lit boo...more
Lots of gratuitous profanity.
Favorite quotes
“Can’t you just give him antibiotics?” Tyler asked. “Wouldn’t that be faster than all this soaking and dealing with .. pus?
I rested a hand on the horse’s withers. “Some people do. But you know what I’ve found? It makes the infection appear to get better. Everything clears up for three or four weeks, and then, just when you think you’re out to the woods, it comes back. There aren’t any shortcuts. You’re better off going slow and letting the ugly stuff...more
Favorite quotes
“Can’t you just give him antibiotics?” Tyler asked. “Wouldn’t that be faster than all this soaking and dealing with .. pus?
I rested a hand on the horse’s withers. “Some people do. But you know what I’ve found? It makes the infection appear to get better. Everything clears up for three or four weeks, and then, just when you think you’re out to the woods, it comes back. There aren’t any shortcuts. You’re better off going slow and letting the ugly stuff...more
What a beautiful, beautiful book! It takes readers from gut-wrenching to laughing hysterically.
Camden Andersons' husband announces that he's leaving on the morning that should have been the "kids out of the house, let's make waffles!" morning. On the same day, she rescues an abused high-spirited horse that she coaxes back to health and sanity throughout the book. That horse, along with a couple of dogs, 1 4-legged and 1 3-legged cat, a goat, a draft horse and a miniature donkey help her learn ho...more
Camden Andersons' husband announces that he's leaving on the morning that should have been the "kids out of the house, let's make waffles!" morning. On the same day, she rescues an abused high-spirited horse that she coaxes back to health and sanity throughout the book. That horse, along with a couple of dogs, 1 4-legged and 1 3-legged cat, a goat, a draft horse and a miniature donkey help her learn ho...more
What a wonderful and incredible feeling to sit down with a book, open up the cover and instantly become engulfed within a story. That was exactly my experience with The Blessings of the Animals. I have been yearning to read Katrina Kittle for a while now and when the opportunity came to be part of her tour for The Blessings of the Animals, I was thrilled to death. Though this is my first book by Ms. Kittle, it will definitely not be my last.
It is a well known idea that animals have the power to...more
It is a well known idea that animals have the power to...more
I cannot express how much I ABSOLUTELY adored this novel. I managed to finish it in a day, stealing away moments to try to finish it whenever I could and ended up staying up really late since I was so entranced by it. I want to be Cami, well maybe not with the whole having my husband just up and leave me but more in how she handled it. She was so strong and brave, she ended up thriving while her ex-husband remained as unhappy as before.
She really did end up making the divorce a good thing for he...more
She really did end up making the divorce a good thing for he...more
This is a wonderful story that covers so much emotion, both animal and human, I couldn't put it down. Cam Anderson has been reaching for excitement since she was a young child. She ran out in the middle of a tornado to see how it felt! When found by her Mom, miraculously unharmed, her Mom said "You don't know when to stop!"
Cam is a veterinarian, recently opened her own practice, and volunteers with the local Humane Society when needed. Her husband Bobby is a chef, with his own restaurant, and a...more
Cam is a veterinarian, recently opened her own practice, and volunteers with the local Humane Society when needed. Her husband Bobby is a chef, with his own restaurant, and a...more
I LOVED this book! I fell in love with the character's completely. This is one of those stories you hate to see end. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel to it. I also liked the fact that everything didn't suddenly "fall into place" for the main character. It isn't tied up with a bow. The main story line in this novel is about marriage. What each character wants from it. I loved that the main character becomes wise through her experiences instead of a sniveling victim. She's brave in dealing with he...more
Review to follow. I loved this book so much, I could not put it down. I want to keep reading it even though I finished the story!
Katrina Kittle's THE BLESSINGS OF THE ANIMALS appealed to me immediately because it is about a vet. I knew I would get to read about a lot of interesting animals, and who doesn't admire a vet?
This particular vet, Cami Anderson, is involved in her own practice as well as working as a volunteer to rescue abandoned and mistreated animals. Sometimes, she ends up adopting t...more
Katrina Kittle's THE BLESSINGS OF THE ANIMALS appealed to me immediately because it is about a vet. I knew I would get to read about a lot of interesting animals, and who doesn't admire a vet?
This particular vet, Cami Anderson, is involved in her own practice as well as working as a volunteer to rescue abandoned and mistreated animals. Sometimes, she ends up adopting t...more
This was really good, but I felt like the author got a little preachy and even a bit judgmental at times. Also the main character was soooo close to being Mary Sue-ish. If one more person praised her and called her kick-ass I think I would have lost it lol.
Also it was a bit disappointing that animals were not as central to the story as the title, cover, and description make it seem. There was way more focus on the protagonist's human support network than on the animals in her life. The animals s...more
Also it was a bit disappointing that animals were not as central to the story as the title, cover, and description make it seem. There was way more focus on the protagonist's human support network than on the animals in her life. The animals s...more
I enjoyed it. Although,, that said I would LOVE to read a book with a divorcing heroine that doesn't have her receiving a marriage proposal from a gorgeous man within weeks of being dumped. That just doesn't happen often enough in real life to warrant being included in "realistic" fiction. Why not follow true to life and have the heroine go a good two or three years without a date, let alone a freaking marriage proposal?
I think Camden's shift as she moved through the process of finding her feet...more
I think Camden's shift as she moved through the process of finding her feet...more
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
Vet, Cami, is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her husband and daughter when she gets called out to an animal rescue. When she gets home she is greeted with her husband's packed car and the announcement that he is leaving her. Even though her family and friends have rallied around her, she seeks solace in the animals. With the help of her friends and family, and the solace of the animals, Cami starts putting her life back together and reali...more
Vet, Cami, is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her husband and daughter when she gets called out to an animal rescue. When she gets home she is greeted with her husband's packed car and the announcement that he is leaving her. Even though her family and friends have rallied around her, she seeks solace in the animals. With the help of her friends and family, and the solace of the animals, Cami starts putting her life back together and reali...more
I picked this book up at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.
I was puttering around during a layover when this book caught my eye and pulled me into a bookstore.
Of course, put a horse on the cover of any book and I will run to it like a moth to a flame, but I considered this a feat considering the state of mind I was in. I was a complete wreck from the events I had just experienced in the past 24 hours. To come across something that was able to pull me away from my thoughts for a mere millisecond...more
I was puttering around during a layover when this book caught my eye and pulled me into a bookstore.
Of course, put a horse on the cover of any book and I will run to it like a moth to a flame, but I considered this a feat considering the state of mind I was in. I was a complete wreck from the events I had just experienced in the past 24 hours. To come across something that was able to pull me away from my thoughts for a mere millisecond...more
This book I finished quite a while ago, but I never moved it to the read shelf. And that is so wrong, because every woman should read this. I don't know how to explain it, but it was the perfect book for me to read at a very crucial time in my life about working through relationships ending, and realizing what is important. And anyone who knows me if you add animals in to get that point, it kind of is a win win kind of book in my eyes. I felt the heroine was my friend, and the writing was real....more
Of course, as the title suggests, the animals play an important role through her hero journey. The animals in the story are really made 3 dimensional and of course, play a pivotal role in Cami's story. You end up really love these highly visual animal characters in this story and there is at least one tear jerking scene (but it isn't about death, to relax those like me who hate those stories).
Not only is this story about Cami's journey through divorce and how she is saved by her animals and fri...more
Not only is this story about Cami's journey through divorce and how she is saved by her animals and fri...more
Read this in three sittings. I enjoyed my last Katrina Kittle read and I was super excited when I saw this on the Crazy Book Tours website.
From the way she describes her characters and their settings to how they interact and the situations they find themselves in - her writing just draws you in and keeps you hooked. A woman battling through separation and divorce, as she tries to raise her teenage daughter and continue her growing veterinary business. I felt connected to these characters real fa...more
From the way she describes her characters and their settings to how they interact and the situations they find themselves in - her writing just draws you in and keeps you hooked. A woman battling through separation and divorce, as she tries to raise her teenage daughter and continue her growing veterinary business. I felt connected to these characters real fa...more
After reading the first few chapters of this enjoyable novel, I realized I might have to skip over certain pages. This is not because of the writing or lack of interest in the story, but because I cannot stomach animal death, illness, death, maltreatment. This won't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book, but is a warning to other sensitive readers.
Veterinarian Cami's life is complicated. Her husband Bobby has just left her. Her 17 year-old daughter Gabby is in love. Her brother Davy and...more
Veterinarian Cami's life is complicated. Her husband Bobby has just left her. Her 17 year-old daughter Gabby is in love. Her brother Davy and...more
I loved this book! This is normally not the type of book that I would normally pick up and look at let alone read but it was a gift so I took a shot at it and was most pleasantly surprised.
The book was very simply written and very easy to read. I think if I had the time I could have sat down and finished it in a day or two. The characters were not the most fleshed out but the storyline was strong enough that the flaws were easy to overlook. You could definitely tell that the author had just rec...more
The book was very simply written and very easy to read. I think if I had the time I could have sat down and finished it in a day or two. The characters were not the most fleshed out but the storyline was strong enough that the flaws were easy to overlook. You could definitely tell that the author had just rec...more
Spectacular book. This is one that will be staying on my shelf for me to read over and over again.
First off, I have to admit that the book was not what I was expecting. It says that the book is about how the animals help her move on and move forward, and how they teach her to let go and let live, basically. After reading the novel, I have to say that that was not what the book was about at all for me. And at first, that left me a little bit miffed, yes, miffed. But Kittle's writing more than mad...more
First off, I have to admit that the book was not what I was expecting. It says that the book is about how the animals help her move on and move forward, and how they teach her to let go and let live, basically. After reading the novel, I have to say that that was not what the book was about at all for me. And at first, that left me a little bit miffed, yes, miffed. But Kittle's writing more than mad...more
Full disclosure: Katrina is a friend of mine, but I tried to stay objective. Nevertheless, I could not put this book down! The basic story is about Camden, a veterinarian who also volunteers with the local humane society in animal rescue cases. Katrina also in each of her books tackles a topic that is important to society today. For example, in "Kindness of Strangers," it was child abuse. In "The Blessings of the Animals," she looks at marriage. This is a great, great book and interfered way too...more
A modern story for a modern age. A well done story of one woman's journey thru divorce, but as life often is these days it gets a bit side tracked here and there, the book is this great cocktail party where you met all these wonderful people with great back stories and these full lives and you've all agreed that you must do this again sometime, but that sometime never happens and you always look back wondering what the heck happened to those people. The only characters that you ever seem to get...more
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this chick lit. My favourite quote is not from the text itself but from the acknowledgements: "If you write nonfiction, you have to fight to prove every fact, but if you write fiction, everyone assumes it's all true." Kittle wrote this after going through a divorce and although she claims that the characters are pure fiction, I'm sure that may have something to do with the powerful feel of the emotions coursing through the pages of this novel. I enjoy findin...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did this book exceed your exceptions? | 4 | 9 | Nov 24, 2012 02:40pm | |
| What's The Name o...: Female veterinarian, divorce, rehab horse [s] | 6 | 54 | Oct 05, 2012 06:11am |
Hello! Welcome to my GoodReads profile, fellow book lover. People have teased me that my reviews are all so high that I don't seem very critical (like a teacher who gives out all A's). Let me explain: First of all, life is too short to finish a book I don't love, and I'd never, ever review a book I hadn't finished. Secondly, I feel much more comfortable recommending works I admire than I do critic...more
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