If dogs could talk...

Title: The Dogs of Babel
Author: Carolyn Parkhurst
Genre: Fiction
No. of Pages: 264

This book got a lot of press when it first arrived, which usually makes me avoid them for awhile (especially the Oprah books). I picked it up off the bargain table at my local bookstore last week, b/c I don't think I'd have bought it at full price. That's a pity, because it was a beautifully written book. The story follows Paul and his wife, Lexy, who died after a fall from the apple tree in thier back yard. There is uncertainty as to whether it was an accident or a suicide, because there were no witnesses except Lorelai, their dog. Because Paul is desperate to find out what happened, he tries to teach the dog to talk. (Did I mention he's a linguistics professor? If anyone can teach a dog to talk, its him.)

Well-written, good jumping from past to present, as Paul relives his life with Lexy.

Rating: 4.5