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. You can read an amazing review here: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/12/03/oakland-author-henry-hitz-talks-squirrels-his-interspecies-romp-of-a-novel/
Here’s an excerpt about the holidays:
A couple days before Christmas, Father gets it in his head that we are going to have a “traditional” Christmas. That doesn’t just mean turkey and plum pudding, no sir. It means we have to go cut down our own tree from the farm. And that’s not all. It also means we have to kill our own Christmas dinner. Can you believe it? And you know, once the old man makes up his mind, there’s no talking him out of it. Usually he hates things like holidays. Really, I think he hates “family,” although to be fair I guess he sometimes thinks the individuals in it are sort of OK. Mostly he’s very withdrawn from the family, in a world of his own.
But then he’ll get this fixation, like a ”traditional” Christmas, and look out, here comes Mr. Family!…
Father wakes Barney and me at seven o’clock sharp so we can go out and cut the tree down and pick out a goddamn chicken. I want to just tell him no. “C’mon, Dad, how about we go into town and buy a tree and a turkey like everyone else? That’s tradition.” But you don’t argue with Father like that anymore than you call him “Dad.” You just don’t…
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.
Henry Hitz laces this riveting, thought provoking journey, Squirrels in the Wall, with dollops of juicy humor. Dogs, bees, a fox, humans, turtles, and other assorted critters–both dead and alive–all ponder, question, and wonder about that line blurring life and death. “Life is death’s dream?” Under the masterful hand of Mr. Hitz, we are in for a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read.
–Francine Thomas Howard, author of two Amazon bestsellers: Page from a Tennessee Journal, and The Duke of Union County