Book Review: Stray Affections

With my mind focused so intensely on the novel I am writing for Nanowrimo, I'm not sure I'll be able to produce a very good review of this book.  I stumbled upon the "Snowglobe Connections" series by Charlene Ann Baumbich quite by accident.  I had noticed a new book by Chris Bohjalian and it reminded me that I have been wanting to read his novel, The Double Bind, because of several good reviews by fellow bloggers who enjoyed the book.  I headed to the shelves and located the book, but also noticed these two novels by Baumbich entitled, Stray Affections and Divine Appointments.

Back in the beginning of November, I picked up Divine Appointments and began to read (because that title and cover hooked me in more for some reason).  However, I quickly discovered that this was the second book in the series (since it referenced a previous character and situation).  I decided it would be better to read the books in order and so left off reading that one and moved on to Stray Affections.

Cassandra Higgins is a daycare provider and mother to four boisterous little boys (are there any other kinds?).  She purchases a snowglobe at a Collector's Convention because the little girl in the globe is surrounded by dogs and looks like a miniature version of herself, a version not unlike the girl she used to be back when she had her own dog as a child.  Sadly, her memories of her dog are tainted by the brutal separation she experienced and she cannot seem to get beyond it to forgive herself (or her mother) and allow herself to open her heart to pets once again. When the characters within the globe disappear, Cassandra is driven to pursue long buried feelings.  What follows is a journey towards forgiveness and redemption (two of my favorite subjects).

It was a simple, easy read.  Both Cassandra and her mother make great strides in recognizing things within themselves which need to shift.  Although it ends with no explanation for the disappearance within the snowglobe, it does end with a happy resolution and paves the way for another book about the snowglobes.  The only minor thing that annoyed me about this book was the constant use of the word "critters" for the dogs.  I'm sure that's just a personal preference, but I would have preferred them to be called "dogs."

The book comes with recipes and discussion questions at the end.  It would be a perfect selection for a Christian book club looking for a light, redemptive read.  I will give the second in this series a go, as well.