The Coyote Hunter of Aquidneck Island
James Conroy
The Permanent Press Hardcover $29.95 (344pp) 978-1-57962-493-4
A fresh and exciting story of love and conservation, the novel boasts a fascinating heroine.
James Conroy’s The Coyote Hunter of Aquidneck Island is a charming tale, set within a small, idyllic New England enclave.
Retired federal civil servant Micah Laveck finds himself in the middle of a divisive overpopulation issue in his town on Aquidneck Island. A rampant coyote population threatens both the ecological stability and public safety of the community. A heated debate ensues, partially halted by the mayor’s suggestion that a trained hunter be employed to humanely attempt to eradicate the problem.
Kodi Red Moon, a skilled native hunter and army-trained sniper, surprises everyone in town with her arrival. Taken with her instantly, Micah doubts the possibility of a relationship; Kodi is young, beautiful, and talented, while his muscular disability and age threaten his self-confidence.
The town simmers with discontent as eradication stalls, this time with potentially disastrous outcomes. Micah and Kodi find themselves drawn together by circumstance and forces larger than themselves.
The novel is entertaining and then some. Complex characters and excellent dialogue make the novel both believable and fulfilling. Conroy’s use of syntax is refreshing and keeps the text moving quickly. The unusual nature of Micah and Kodi’s blossoming relationship is well handled, with Conroy shirking traditional romance mores for a more straightforward and character-driven approach.
The lead pair’s chemistry is palpable, and though it is a driving force of the narrative, it never overshadows the initial issue of the coyote problem. Conroy seamlessly weaves both story lines together, creating a dynamic world.
Kodi stands out as one of the novel’s great strengths. Capable, intelligent, and with a firm understanding of herself and her heightened ability, she is an invigorating reversal of the damsel-in-distress model so prevalent in similar novels. As a member of the Narragansett tribe, she also gives voice to a people working tirelessly to regain their land rights.
The Coyote Hunter of Aquidneck Island is a fresh and exciting story of love and conservation. A quirky but lovable word nerd develops an unusual neurological syndrome, in Man Martin’s The Lemon Jell-o Syndrome, an intelligent, whimsical gem of a novel that appeals to the grammar nerd in us all.
Bone King is a college professor whose life revolves around the etymology of words. He entertains himself by diagramming sentences and compiling cliché inventories. Nonetheless, words fail him when it comes to simple conversation with neighbors or communicating with his wife, Mary, a woman who Bone still cannot believe married him.
Soon after Bone begins to suspect that something is amiss with his marriage, he develops an odd neurological condition in which he is unable to walk through doorways. Enter his equally quirky neurologist, Dr. Limongello, who provides Bone with some unorthodox treatment methods that lead to hilarious results.
Rather than being assigned numbers, each chapter is set apart alphabetically, with the etymology of each letter and definitions of unusual words that begin with it. Chapter intros are an enjoyable read unto themselves; highlighted words often foreshadow the chapters they introduce.
Bone’s perfect meld of quirkiness and offbeat charm make him a unique, appealing protagonist. Constantly bewildered, he is a man stuck in life: delayed in getting his book