Author: Nick Trout
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication Date: January, 2013
Genre: General Fiction
Description: After fifteen years, Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to rural Vermont to inherit the Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the failing veterinary practice of his recently deceased and long-estranged father. Cyrus, a veterinary pathologist far more comfortable with cold clinical facts than living, breathing animals (not to mention their quirky, demanding owners), intends to sell the practice and get out of town as fast as he can.
Then his first patient—a down-on-her-luck golden retriever named Frieda Fuzzypaws—wags her way through the door, and suddenly life gets complicated. With the help of a black Labrador gifted in the art of swallowing underwear, a Persian cat determined to expose her owner’s lover as a gold digger, and the allure of a feisty, pretty waitress from the local diner, Cyrus gets caught up in a new community and its endearing residents, both human and animal. Sensing he may have misjudged the past, he begins to realize it’s not just his patients that need healing.
The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a winsome tale of new beginnings, forgiveness, and the joy of finding your way home.
My Thoughts: The Patron Saint Of Lost Dogs by new to me author, Nick Trout, is a very good story about coming home again, forgiveness and making peace with your past. Cyrus Mills returns to his hometown to take over his deceased father’s veterinary practice that is on the brink of failure. To further complicate matters, Cyrus is not a veterinarian in practice as he has never treated living animals. Instead, his expertise lies in veterinary pathology. Cyrus intends to sell the practice and return to South Carolina as quickly as he can. However, he does not anticipate how his arrival affects the numerous quirky characters he meets, both animal and human.
I really enjoy books that feature animals prominently throughout the story and this book did not disappoint. Mr. Trout does an excellent job of bringing the animals to life with individual personalities and traits that enabled me to feel a profound connection with each one. I was intrigued and worried at the same time whether or not Cyrus would figure out in time what was wrong with each of his patients. A couple of the animals really got to me on an emotional level and a box of Kleenex was necessary. In addition to the animals, the human characters of Eden Falls, Vermont are just as interesting and intriguing.
The story flows smoothly as Cyrus tries to acclimate himself to his new surroundings that are filled with painful memories and ghosts from his past. I enjoyed how he handled the stress of being out of his element interacting with living animals for the first time while meeting new people. Cyrus is very much a loner who has done a remarkable job of hiding his feelings and not getting close to people. Seeing him open up to both animals and people was uplifting.
My Final Verdict: If you enjoy heartwarming stories that feature animals in leading and supporting roles or enjoy stories that have likable characters who tug on your emotions, I highly recommend The Patron Saint Of Lost Dogs as a very good choice. This is the first book of the series and I am looking forward to reading the next book, Dog Gone, Back Soon.
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