An Improbable Companion
Can a dog help you solve your biggest problems? When Lucinda Flynn finds a husky on the doorstep of the caretaker’s cottage of Rakeshill Mansion, she has no idea that his arrival will set in motion events that will change her life.
Hired to write a new history of the historic house, Lucinda hopes her one year appointment will lead to a successful book and an academic job. Cursed with a perfectionism that makes it difficult for her to complete projects, Lucinda gradually finds herself confiding in Rake, her brilliant pet. He helps her deal with the stresses of her life — the mansion’s imperious owner, her unhappy relationship with her family, and an unfortunate ability to alienate every man she meets. When Lucinda uncovers the link between Rake and the dark history of Rakeswell Mansion, it reveals the extent of Rake’s extraordinary abilities.
With Rake as her advisor, Lucinda’s love life improves dramatically. But when a man Lucinda rejects decides to take revenge against them both, she has to find the strength to fight what really matters.
A young woman with a new job, an oddly perceptive dog, the Rakeshill Mansion estate with a secret means a good story ahead! Once again author of Lives of Things Stephanie Medlock creates a female protagonist we want to shake or applaud. Why can’t Lucinda prevent herself from upending her relationships with her excessive need for order? Her new job of writing the history of a grand house may be perfect for her curiosity and research skills — but can she cope with being alone except when leading house tours? Then arrives a dog, a husky whose devotion to Lucinda soon matches her dedication to the house. Danger and dilemmas result from her discoveries about its family legacy. How much should be revealed in the written history and whom should she trust to keep her dog safe are Lucinda’s worries and keep us engaged with this clever novel. Medlock’s research of historic homes and early 20th century dog breeding are woven into this suspenseful and thoughtful tale of relationships we foster with dogs.
— Joyce E. Hicks, author Escape from Assisted Living
Stephanie Wilson Medlock’s An Improbable Companion is a smart, insightful, propulsive read with fantastic characterizations, engrossing subplots and an immersive use of setting.
Lucinda’s developing relationship with Rake, the powerful dog that appears on her doorstep one day, catches us up right away and enthralls us in an unfolding series of uplifting events full of wonder and surprise. Rake first saves her just thirty pages in, but by novel’s end, he will have been of invaluable service and advice many times. Dog lovers will delight in the strength of Rake’s characterization and the amusing and suspenseful short chapters written from the canine’s point of view.
A series of subplots involving other characters important to Lucinda serve to create intriguing complications and set up story questions about how those relationships will turn out, keeping us reading.
In addition, we are treated to various worlds that intrigue and engross: the world of historic houses, their lineage, testaments to life as lived in the past, and the challenges of maintaining them for future generations to enjoy; the world of Croatian royal lineage, another past world of importance to Jacob, one of two veterinarians Lucinda meets through Rake; the worlds of dog training, both in the WWII era and the present.
Descriptions of place and how it makes the heroine — and us — feel are used to very pleasurable effect. The setting is almost another character, especially the Hudson valley in Winter with snow, Rake’s favorite season.
Late in the book there’s an elaborate, extremely satisfying public event in the literary tradition of a Jane Austen ball skillfully managed by Lucinda that showcases the estate’s traditions while also serving as a decisive tipping point for our heroine.
While events pile up in a way that keeps us turning pages, Medlock also offers us great insights into Lucinda’s inner voice and reflections in concise, interwoven moments. We understand what matters to her, what she grapples with, what mystifies and challenges her, and how events and her interpretations of them lead to decisive actions on her part.
While romance plays a role as it would for any young, single woman in her 30’s, and Lucinda’s OCD tendencies complicate that part of her life, a big part of the pleasure of this novel is Lucinda’s considerable skills, accomplishments, passionate interests and ambitions, all of which act as her primary drivers.
Both Medlock’s books — An Improbable Companion and The Lives of Things — feature young, female main characters who have passionate interests and career ambitions. The goal for Medlock’s heroines is to overcome their vulnerabilities and bring into reality the ballsiest versions of themselves.
Empowering and emotionally satisfying, An Improbably Companion will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever aspired, been thwarted, sought connection, or been moved by wonder.
— Susan Hubbard, Creative Writing Instructor,
The University of Chicago Graham School