THE PATRON SAINT OF LOST DOGS

Cyrus Mills returns to Vermont as the unhappy inheritor of The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, his estranged father's failing business. His plan to sell it quickly and run away from home a second time is foiled by Dr. Lewis and Bedside's loyal pets and their owners. Author Trout is himself a vet, so his story has a ring of truth. Peter Berkrot tells it with humor and a light touch, making Cyrus's growth from a self-absorbed whiner to a caring vet believable. Speaking in Cyrus's voice, Berkrot uses subtle changes in tone, tempo, and pacing to reveal a heart long buried but now free to blossom. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]