One of the many perks of being a librarian is getting to see so many new book releases every day. At the Post Road branch we have a little red cart in our workroom where we put new books until they are shelved in the New & Notable display area. We temporarily label all of our new books on the spine with a round neon orange sticker. For bibliophiles, those orange dots are the equivalent of Krispy Kreme Doughnut’s “HOT NOW” sign: irresistible.
While filling this cart the other day I came across Separation Anxiety: a Novel by bestselling author Laura Zigman. The bright teal and yellow cover grabbed my attention and pulled my focus to the central image of a middle-aged woman wearing her dog across her torso in a baby carrier. I was instantly transported to a time about ten years ago when my family and I literally bumped right into a lovely woman at a farmers’ market who was wearing her little dog in the same fashion. My family was entranced, and quite jealous because there was no way our 85-pound Black Lab mix, Ike, would ever fit in a Baby Bjorn. My youngest couldn’t contain his affection and even asked the lady if he could kiss her “fur baby.” Mercifully, she consented. Her dog, however, didn’t seem quite as open to David’s advances.
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of comfort animals for stress relief, and finding this book during the COVID-19 pandemic definitely rekindled my interest. The inside book jacket describes it as “a hilarious novel about a wife and mother’s increasingly disastrous attempts to course correct her relationships, her career, and her belief in herself.” Hilarious, yes, at times; surprisingly, also full of such tenderness, hope, and redemption that I was sad to reach the end.
The main character, 50-year-old struggling writer Judy Vogel, sees herself as an “increasingly invisible middle-aged woman, hiding an ever-expanding perimenopausal body in boxy sweaters and boyfriend jeans.” This may sound like an overplayed trope on female aging, but this book touches on many other themes including marital problems, anxiety, addiction, dashed dreams, parenting challenges, awkward house guests, edibles, Marie Kondo, cancer, adult braces, and even a “Secret Pooper” leaving his mark at the local Montessori school. The common thread connecting them all is Judy’s newly developed penchant to self-soothe by wearing her mini Sheltie in a baby sling.
We could all use some extra comfort these days. Why not do it vicariously through Judy Vogel’s furry new accessory and the absurdly comedic and heartwarming misadventures she experiences along the way.
Leslie
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks
