Squirrels in the Wall

Squirrels in the Wall a novel told in stories by a collection
of interspecies voices presents a unique and darkly hilarious blend of
human and animal perspectives in a single setting on a Wisconsin lake.
The stories provide a kaleidoscope of heartbreak among both human and
animal characters as they confront abuse and death.



"They call me Herziger, but my real name is Woof, ” one of the stories
opens. "They call me a dachshund, but in reality, I am just a dog. I
live with my mother among a pack of wild humans in a big house on a
lake. ” In the second story, "Squirrels in the Wall, ” Herzie's "human, ”
Barney Blatz, experiences a fire in that house when he is just four. The
stories follow Barney from infancy to death, tracing the epic, ongoing
conflict between him and Father a bumbling tyrant guilty of shocking
abuse but also capable of poignant redemption.



On this rollicking journey, we meet a suicidal toad, a cat, two mice, a
bee, Grandfather's ghost, and a turtle who possesses Barney in a
climactic tale of environmental activism gone awry. Other stories
reflect the points of view of Barney's mother, sister, and older
brother; together, they construct a collage of spectacular family
dysfunction and of healing love.