Heart to Heart, Hand in Paw by Peggy Frezon

"How one woman finds faith and hope though the healing love of animals."

Get to know Luanne, her husband Henry and the assortment of quirky animals that work together to build a house in rural Vermont and in the end find their forever home. Luanne knows heartache and loneliness and sticktoitiveness, her story is bittersweet and often funny, in the end your faith in happy-ever-after will be restored.

Life is never predictable, ordinary or boring, neither are the animals. There's Corky, a homely dog of many breeds who cares only about being with the woman he loves and whose "...long, knobby-kneed legs bulged at the bottom like an old lady whose stockings had fallen down." Sixteen free-range chickens who live the adage "birds of a feather" and one handsome rooster named Fred in need of a couple of lessons move in. There's a lamb, a goose, and a donkey that needs tending and lots of understanding and many prayers.

As the animals accumulate so do the teachings. Told in present day and in flashback, the author uses a deft hand when it comes to sharing Luanne's beginnings and just the right mixture of adjectives and inspiration.  This is the tale Peggy was born to tell.

That God's hand is everywhere is evident. This is a story that will move right in and take up residence. You'll root for the characters, both those with two legs and those with four and observe first hand what it truly means to find a way to meet life's difficulties with hope and determination.

Like all great stories this one is based on fact and the truth is animals have much to teach us about love, loyalty, forgiveness and what it means to be family. 

For anyone who has ever loved an animal. I adore this story.