No Puppies

The village of Pleasantville, Kentucky, seems like an idyllic hometown with a park, a lake, and a pet cemetery filled with wildflowers and bird songs. Joanne, a single mother with big plans and her daughter, Molly, Aunt Frannie, Granny, and Gramps and all the neighbors are sharing a special holiday season. But on Christmas morning, Molly turns up missing. A frantic search by police and family begins, and a neighboring physician and his wife are found dead inside their home. Soon, Joanne receives a frantic phone call. "Mommy, come for me." Molly's voice traveled over the wires, sounding thin and hollow. "He promised me a puppy. There are no puppies." This moving novel recounts how a family deals with the tragedy of sexual abuse and pedophilia. Novelist Glendia Watson pens a story of "the flawed tools we humans are given to cope with these stone-heavy burdens . the rage, guilt, and regret." But at its core, No Puppies is ultimately about redemption and hope.