Second Lives

In this delightful and touching story, three endangered creatures land in a New England village: The Cat (humans give him various names, but to himself he is the only Cat who matters) has just been wrongfully evicted from his comfortable first life. Surely the Great Cat, the deity who rules the world, will guide him to his ideal second life? Josh Hiller, a dedicated social studies teacher, has lost his job . . . and his marriage . . . and his beloved dog. In his mind, none of this was his fault, and he deserves an untroubled summer of healing R&R. Tucker, a bouncy brown retriever mix, mismatched with elderly owners, is clueless about the grim fate he's courting. Dogs just want to have fun! However, he knows a match made in doggy heaven when his black rubbery nose sniffs one. The three scramble around the woods, beaches, and country roads of Mattakiset, their paths crisscrossing as they pursue the second lives they think they want. Meanwhile, the town's quirky inhabitants—a Tarot card-reading doggy day care attendant, an opinionated landlady, an obnoxiously irresponsible landscaper, a cat-hoarding marijuana grower—add to the complications. And to the comedy.