Sight Hound

Starred review from November 15, 2004
Postfeminist toughness and post-hippie sentiment are the alternating currents of this wry, tender novel by Houston (Cowboys Are My Weakness
; Waltzing the Cat
; etc.) about a Colorado playwright and her beloved Irish wolfhound. Rae hasn't had much luck with men, but her love for her dog Dante is pure and uncomplicated. When he is diagnosed with cancer, she puts all of her energies into prolonging his life, volunteering him for experimental surgery. The ups and downs of the three years he spends in remission are narrated from the perspective of the motley friends who float in Rae's out-sized orbit. Chief among these is Howard, the adorably histrionic actor whose love is Rae's main consolation for the looming loss of Dante; there's also Darlene, Rae's tough-as-nails housekeeper, who keeps things running at the ranch while Rae's at her Denver apartment or traveling to exotic places. Then there's restless, jaded Jonathan, Rae's fellow playwright and best friend; Jodi, the young bride of a surrealist painter, who moves to Colorado and finds a soul mate in Rae; Dr. Evans, the driven vet who labors to save Dante; and Brooklyn Underhill, Dr. Evans's idealistic young ex-soldier assistant. And of course, Dante has his own say, as does Rae's rambunctious second dog, Rose, and Darlene's cat, Stanley. Houston isn't afraid to venture into boggy terrain—readers who squirm at the notion that dogs have human "moms" and "souls as deep and authentic as anything in creation" will resist being carried along at first—but the novel's humor and irony are bracing, and different voices provide welcome contrasts in tone. Houston's gift for capturing the dynamic of unorthodox webs of relationships is on pleasing display in this gruffly warmhearted novel. Agent, Liz Darhansoff. (Jan.
)
Forecast:
Fans of Anne Lamott and Michael Cunningham's early work will appreciate Houston's similar way of dealing with love and friendship. Six-city author tour.

September 1, 2004
Rae learns everything she ever wanted to know about love from her wolfhound, Dante. With a six-city author tour.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2005
Adult/High School -Houston draws readers in to experience the intimate bonds among her characters, not only through her protagonist's ups and downs with her friends, but even more through her special relationship with her Irish wolfhound, Dante. On the one hand a fiercely independent playwright who travels the world, Rae is also a woman beset by insecurities and who has not had the greatest success with her "people" relationships. Her love for Dante has been her anchor during rockier times, and when the dog is diagnosed with bone cancer, Rae begins a journey to realize that truly living means not hiding from pain, but savoring the sweetness in spite of loss. The story is told not only through Rae's own eyes, but also through the eyes of Dante and a diverse cast of characters, including Rae's prickly housekeeper, her dark and brooding best friend, and the doctor who treats her pet. Whether from the perspective of a human or an animal, the tone is witty and warm. Houston's ability to reveal the flaws in each of her characters invites readers to know them on a more personal level. Fans of the author's short-story collections and new readers alike are in for a treat with Houston's first novel." -Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library, VA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2004
Houston, author of the wildly popular short story collections " Cowboys Are My Weakness " (1991) and " Waltzing the Cat" (1998), turns in a first novel comprising interconnected monologues, some in the voices of animals. This approach echoes the calling of the novel's endearing if idealized protagonist: Rae is a playwright. As the story begins, fortysomething Rae is living in Colorado with a flinty housekeeper; a good-time dog named Rose; a self-contained cat named Stanley; and a truly enlightened being, Dante the Irish wolfhound. A typical Houston gal--tough and outdoorsy yet creative and vulnerable--Rae hasn't had the best karma when it comes to parents, friends, or lovers, so Dante is her great love. And Dante, who suffers from cancer and loses a leg, is nothing less than a canine bodhisattva, doing everything in his power to teach Rae to trust love. Part fable, part romance, part paean to the beauty of nature, Houston's arty and endearing Rockies screwball comedy includes one of the goofiest marriage proposals ever and many sweetly teary moments. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)