Andrea Thalasinos, author of past Modern Dog Book Club pick An Echo Through the Snow, has, in Traveling Light, created another winning story that all dog lovers can relate to, for what dog guardian hasn’t found their dog, at one time or another, leading them along a path of enlightment? Certainly, such is the experience of Paula Makaikis, the novel’s protagonist. With a couple failed marriages behind her and her current marriage heading in the same direction, Paula is afraid to admit to herself, let alone others, the depths of her unhappiness. Instead, she focuses on her academic career. The problem is that, too, has of late become lackluster, as evidenced by her focus on the robins on the ledge outside her office window rather than on the mounting unanswered emails piling up in her inbox. Then a dog named Fotis changes everything. Paula had never considered adopting a dog, but when Fotis enters her life she soon can’t imagine herself without him, despite the fact her husband won’t approve. She decides to take an eight-week leave of absence and sets out on a road trip with Fotis that takes the pair northbound from New York City. At a rest stop in northern Minnesota, she answers a help-wanted ad for a wildlife rehabilitation center. Soon Paula is holding an eagle in her hands and the experience changes her forever. The ensuing tale about fate, family, and healing explores what is possible when we cut the ties that hold us down and leave our hearts free to soar.
