Unlikely Animals

by Annie Hartnett

Those conversations, those rituals, were the kinds of things that make up a life. The things Ingrid was missing now.

Anticipatory grief, it’s called, when you’re sad about something that hasn’t happened yet. Oh man, we thought at Maple Street, how we missed the excruciating pain of being alive.

“Flick your headlights for them, all night long, every hour. Let them know you’re always there in whatever way makes sense to you.”

That’s why we like living with animals so much; they exhibit their joy so outwardly, remind us how to be better alive.

This book is about rooting for everyone, and about loving a place. And I hope it’s clear that I deeply love the place.