★Wroblewski, David. Familiaris. Blackstone. Jun. 2024. 992p. ISBN 9798212194297. $34. F

With this new novel, the origin story behind his bestselling The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Wroblewski transports readers to the wilds of Wisconsin’s Northwoods in 1919, where John Sawtelle is in search of something grand. This impressive novel (in both content and heft) brings readers deep into John’s mind and heart as he strives to put together the life and family he envisions. He and his new bride Mary, along with best friends and beloved dogs, set out to create a purposeful life on a plot of land. Each person brings talents to bear on their joint project, as do the amazing Sawtelle dogs John and Mary rescue, breed, raise, and train. Seeking depth of understanding of dogs, humans, and the natural world around them brings John and Mary into contact with all manner of events, natural and otherwise. VERDICT Wroblewski’s talent dances on the page in a searingly gorgeous novel written with piercing, insightful language. Readers of David James Duncan, John Irving, and George Saunders will fall in love. Seriously recommended for all readers whose hearts were first broken by Wilson Rawls’s Where the Red Fern Grows. Don’t be daunted by the length; by the end of this book, readers will wish for even more.