This is a review of Men and Dogs, by Katie Crouch. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $23.99. ISBN 978-0-316-00213-4.
Hannah’s life has been defined by a childhood event – when she was eleven, her father disappeared. While the rest of her family and friends accepted that her father was dead, Hannah has refused to believe her father was not alive and well somewhere. As a teen, then as an adult, Hannah has avoided dealing with the loss of her father; instead, she acts out, pushing people away and subconsciously sabotaging her relationships. All the while, even twenty years after his disappearance, Hannah remains vigilant, sure she’ll see her father, alive and well, around the next corner. When her husband forces her to return to her family home, Hannah’s contentious relationships with her mother, stepfather, and brother are repeatedly tested by Hannah’s determination to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.
Analysis:
After reading this book twice, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. While I liked the overall story and characters, I felt that both needed more polish. The story did not seem as well-developed as it could have been. The characters were not explored as thoroughly as I would have liked, and the conclusion seemed a little watered down to me. Still, it was a good read.
The introductory chapter sets up the disappearance of Buzz, Hannah’s father. This chapter, written in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style, paints a picture of a close father-daughter relationship and hero worship from the memories and impressions of an eleven year old girl. The style of writing helps move the story at memory’s pace, the bits and pieces coming at the reader quickly and sometimes half-formed.
Hannah is an interesting character, although I personally didn’t care too much for her. If she were a real person, I doubt we’d be close friends – I would find her personality too exasperating, and would likely expend too much energy on the friendship with someone so self-indulgent. However, seeing her through third-party eyes, it’s obvious that she has unresolved issues that stem from her losing her father while at a critical period in her life. Her “daddy issues” have affected her relationships with men throughout her life, and she’s finally gone too far. Her husband is forcing her to deal with the problem, although it’s too late to repair their relationship.
Her relationships with her mother, Daisy, and stepfather, DeWitt, are what one would expect in this situation – having been a “daddy’s girl”, and having held onto the conviction that her father decided to leave because of her mother, Hannah doesn’t have much patience for Daisy. She views her stepfather more as a limitless platinum credit card than as a father figure. I liked how she modified her opinions of her parents as the story moved forward; this, more than anything, helped illustrate Hannah's growth. I really liked Daisy - I thought she was a hoot!
This brings us to Palmer, Hannah’s older brother. I found him an intriguing character, and actually preferred the portions of the book that were devoted to Palmer. His personality, quirks and flaws add depth to the story; although he and Hannah don’t interact a lot in the story, the influence they’ve had on each other’s lives is a solid undercurrent in the plot. I found myself wishing the author had spent more time on Palmer – he could be the main character in a story as well. At the end of the book, I felt a little cheated with Palmer’s “resolution”. It felt somewhat trite, and left me feeling that the story hadn’t stayed true to the character that the author had been building throughout the book.
All in all, I felt that the book was good, albeit rushed. I felt there was more that could have been explored, but that the author was holding back. I like the author’s humor and the raw emotion she brings to life in the characters. I would recommend this book; it would make a great beach or travel read.
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