The tortoise's tale

A giant tortoise pursues an interest in people and human creativity over the course of a century in Coulter's charming debut. Captured as a hatchling, the tortoise, who narrates, is sold to the wealthy owner of a massive Southern California estate, where she joins a menagerie that over time includes a monkey, a peacock, and a donkey-zebra hybrid. After keeping to herself for many years, the tortoise is drawn to the family who owns the estate by the entrancing sounds of jazz during a party in the 1950s. She befriends Lucy, the young niece of the estate's owner, who names her "Magic." While sitting in on Lucy and her brother's lessons with their tutor, Mr. Williams, Magic learns about geography. She longs to be able to speak like Lucy does, while Lucy is disappointed when Mr. Williams is unable to say where in the world Magic came from. As the decades pass, Lucy remains Magic's dearest friend. Meanwhile, the estate's next owner allows his gay lover to transform it into a retreat for famous musicians such as Nina Simone. Throughout, Coulter evokes the creature's wonder and curiosity, as the tortoise falls in love with music and gets to know how people tick ("You can learn a lot about people by considering what stories they want to tell"). Readers are in for a treat. Agent: Chris Bucci, Aevitas Creative Management. (Nov.)

DEBUT Activist and professor Coulter's (animal ethics and sustainability leadership, Huron Univ. Coll.; Defending Animals) first novel is told from the point of view of a long-lived giant tortoise named Magic. It begins with the tortoise's hatching and goes on to span over a century, offering a glimpse into generations of humans and other animals as they pass through Magic's life on a luxurious estate in Southern California. Over the years, Magic makes friends, including a little girl named Lucy and a gardener named Takeo. She witnesses much, including animal cruelty, human kindness and unkindness, and decades of societal change. By interpreting the novel's political, pop culture, and music references, readers can determine the approximate era in which each chapter is set. The book is both beautifully written and thoroughly researched and will tug at the heartstrings, making readers feel invested in the fate of Magic and those she encounters. VERDICT This must-read should be a first purchase. It will appeal not only to animal lovers and environmental advocates but to anyone looking for a significant novel with a heartfelt story.--Margaret Puentes

1. Steadfast Steadfast I MISS MUSIC. By no means do I enjoy all of it, let me be perfectly clear about that. But I am something of a musical connoisseur, a nuanced appreciator of your most evocative and rhythmic songs, the uplifting as well as the mournful. Tchaikovsky. Nina Simone. Phil Collins. Shania Twain. Beyoncé. In fact, I have known talented artists personally and been a cherished muse. Sometimes, I imagine that one of them has returned and is singing by the pool as I stand nearby in rapt solidarity and the redbuds glimmer in the moonlight. Every now and then I feel the ground rumble and think someone is outside. A courageous leader seeking refuge. A compassionate visionary with inspiring plans. A new friend with whom to share a sweet slice of mango as the irrepressible spirit of wonder gently twists around the sharpest points of the cactuses, undaunted. No visitors arrive. The gates remain closed and the walls solid. I checked them after the smoke finally dissipated and the sky shone again. Then yesterday, a red-winged blackbird landed on a branch nearby, and we locked eyes, utterly mesmerized by the sight of another living being. This morning, a pair of blue jays appeared and proceeded to study the place from every angle while I stared, entranced. I want to believe that they are harbingers. Though the vastness of the silence drapes heavily around me, the soft breeze from feathered wings invites a dance of possibility. You see, I have been given different names: Daisuke, Magic, Shelley, Sara, Zaagi', Fern. Each one is special in its own way. This is my story, but it is not simply about me. Perhaps I am a prism. Excerpted from The Tortoise's Tale: A Novel by Kendra Coulter All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.