Book Review: Dog Shelter Blues

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Fiction
Dog Shelter Blues
Mark Conkling
2012
Sunstone Press
245 pages

Dog Shelter Bluesis the second novel by author Mark Conkling. While it is not a sequel to Conkling's first novel, Prairie Dog Blues, the author does answer a few stray questions that the reader was left with at the end of the prairie dog's tale. In the new book, Danny Sandoval faces multiple legal problems after speaking out against the cruel treatment of rescued animals at a local shelter. With the help of his friends, Danny survives law suits and a relapse of his addiction, all while maintaining his stand to protect the animals he is so passionate about.

During an interview with the local paper, Danny, a vet tech at the Albuquerque Animal Humane Center, accuses Safe Sanctuary No-Kill Rescue of mistreating the animals the organization takes in. The most damaging accusation Danny levels against the non-profit run by Norma Jean Lawson is that a sick puppy a young boy adopted from Safe Sanctuary exposed the child to a disease that can be fatal to humans and animals. In making the comment, Danny revealed confidential information that his fianc?e, Ida Corley, a nurse at the local hospital, shared with him.

The article sets off a series of unfortunate events in Danny's fragile life. He is sued by Safe Sanctuary for slander and libel and a restraining order is taken out to keep Danny away from the property where the rescue center is located. A recovering alcoholic, Danny risks his sobriety and his freedom to prove the neglect taking place at Safe Sanctuary.

Conkling's writing is darker in this story as opposed to the faith-filled prose that supports the plot of the Prairie Dog Blues. The author reveals the abuse and loss Danny experienced as a child, which led to his addiction and discomfort with most people. Conkling also challenges the reader to view Norma, one of the antagonists, as a whole person who also has a troubled past and is involved in a damaging relationship that she entered into in order to pursue her goal of helping animals. One of the great ironies of this story is that the two people who clash the most have similar struggles dealing with people and a shared passion for animals. As in Prairie Dog Blues, Conkling convincingly uses the premise of animals in need as a spring board for diving deeper into the human psyche.

Dog Shelter Bluesis more than a story about neglected rescue animals. It is also a story about broken people and how they can overcome their problems to become their best selves.

Melissa Brown Levine for Independent Professional Book Reviewers

Melissa Brown Levine is a writer, book reviewer and manuscript consultant. She is the author of "I Need to Make Promises: A Novella and Stories." Read an excerpt at http://www.melissabrownlevine.com/.

Book Review: Prairie Dog Blues

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Fiction
Prairie Dog Blues
Mark Conkling
2011
Sunstone Press
230 pages

In his first novel, Prairie Dog Blues, writer Mark Conkling tells the complicated story of the Corley family. With each member of the clan struggling with their own problems, the Corleys decide to sell part of the family land. The hope of the family's matriarch, Mom Corley, is that the money will improve their lives individually and bring all of them closer together. As it turns out, prairie dogs elevate the family beyond their personal concerns to fulfill Mom's dreams of a strong, unified clan.

Mom and Pop Corley (their given names are Janice and Roy, but everyone in the community calls them Mom and Pop) attend the final signing for the sale of fifteen acres of their property in Albuquerque, New Mexico with their three children, Jeff, Ida, and Junior. The goal of the sale is to fund Mom and Pop's retirement and to provide each of their troubled children with seed money that will allow them to restructure their lives. Jeff, the oldest, is a dentist with a gambling problem and all of the debt that goes with that lifestyle. The middle child, Ida, is a nurse who, when not dreaming of earning a master's degree, uses her looks to attract the wrong kind of attention from men. Junior is the youngest and the most troubled with a nearly debilitating drinking problem. Mom believes the multi-million dollar sale of the property to a developer will solve all of their problems. But that dream is threatened by a new city ordinance that will restrict development on properties where prairie dogs live. This news halts the sale and heightens the level of desperation for each of the Corleys.

The initial attempts Pop and Junior make to remove the prairie dogs are awkward and violent. News of the city ordinance and the delayed sale of the Corleys' fifteen acres draws protestors from the Forest Guardians, a group of environmental activists. The Forest Guardians, led by Donald Pressman, fight the Corleys' efforts to remove the prairie dogs by taking legal action and bringing in a prairie dog expert to bolster their cause.

This is a story that takes several unexpected turns, which is fantastic for holding the reader's attention. As each attempt to salvage the sale of the property is initiated, the author reveals more of the inner workings of the main characters. Conkling shares the struggles of each member of the Corley family and the steps they take to save their lives from destruction. While Mom holds on to the hope she believes the money will bring until the very end, her husband and children ultimately find their way to better lives and a renewed sense of family as a result of the crisis the prairie dogs' presence causes.

This is a delightful story. It is well written and ambitious in its display of the human condition. Conkling, a former professor of psychology and philosophy, skillfully applies his knowledge of human behavior to create multidimensional characters that conjure up an array of emotions in the reader.

Prairie Dog Blues is a dynamic read; brilliant. I highly recommended it.

Melissa Brown Levine
for
Independent Professional Book Reviewers

Melissa Brown Levine is a writer, book reviewer and manuscript consultant. She is the author of "I Need to Make Promises: A Novella and Stories." Read an excerpt at http://www.melissabrownlevine.com/.