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A Home for Goddesses and Dogs
A unique masterpiece about loss, love, and the world’s best bad dog, from award-winning author Leslie Connor, author of the National Book Award finalist The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle.
Lydia knows more about death than most thirteen-year-olds. Her mother was already sick when her father left them six years ago. Then when her mother died, it was Lydia who sat by her side.
Fully orphaned now, Lydia follows the plan her mother made with her. She uproots to rural Connecticut to live with her “last of kin.” Aunt Brat; her jovial wife, Eileen; and their ancient live-in landlord, Elloroy, welcome Lydia. Only days after her arrival the women adopt a big yellow dog.
Lydia is not a dog person—and this one is trouble! He pees in the house, escapes into the woods, and barks at things unseen. His new owners begin to guess about his unknown past.
Lydia doesn’t want to cause trouble for her new family—and she does not mean to keep secrets—but there are things she’s not telling . . .
Like why the box of “paper stuff” she keeps under her bed is so important . . .
And why that hole in the wall behind the poster in her room is getting bigger . . .
And why something she took from the big yellow dog just might be the key to unraveling his mysterious past—but at what cost?
Award-winning author Leslie Connor crafts a story that sings about loss and love and finding joy in new friendships and a loving family, along with the world’s best bad dog. This uplifting story about recovery features strong female characters, an adorable dog, and the girl who comes to love him.
Lydia knows more about death than most thirteen-year-olds. Her mother was already sick when her father left them six years ago. Then when her mother died, it was Lydia who sat by her side.
Fully orphaned now, Lydia follows the plan her mother made with her. She uproots to rural Connecticut to live with her “last of kin.” Aunt Brat; her jovial wife, Eileen; and their ancient live-in landlord, Elloroy, welcome Lydia. Only days after her arrival the women adopt a big yellow dog.
Lydia is not a dog person—and this one is trouble! He pees in the house, escapes into the woods, and barks at things unseen. His new owners begin to guess about his unknown past.
Lydia doesn’t want to cause trouble for her new family—and she does not mean to keep secrets—but there are things she’s not telling . . .
Like why the box of “paper stuff” she keeps under her bed is so important . . .
And why that hole in the wall behind the poster in her room is getting bigger . . .
And why something she took from the big yellow dog just might be the key to unraveling his mysterious past—but at what cost?
Award-winning author Leslie Connor crafts a story that sings about loss and love and finding joy in new friendships and a loving family, along with the world’s best bad dog. This uplifting story about recovery features strong female characters, an adorable dog, and the girl who comes to love him.
385 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2020
60 people are currently reading
4174 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Connor
11 books432 followersFrom the author's website:
My life began suddenly (you can even ask my mother) in an antique farmhouse outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I was born right on the family room floor ~ no time to get to the hospital! I swear, I’ve been in a hurry ever since.
When I was in fourth grade we moved to a neighborhood full of kids outside of Schenectady, New York. My Dad worked for a company that sold some of the finest printing papers in all the land. He often brought home big, beautiful, heavy books that pinned me to my chair when I held them in my lap, and I loved to turn the pages, look at the photography and illustrations and smell the ink.
As a kid I took dancing lessons and did gymnastics. I could be found upside-down in odd places like the middle of the stairway, not that I recommend it! My bedroom was a messy nest full of paint sets and paper scraps, embroidery threads and sewing projects. In school I was good at some things and not at all good at others. Still, I found my passions. I went to college, first at SUNY, Cobleskill, where I received an associate’s degree in agriculture, and later at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Ct. where I earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art.
At first, I was interested in children’s books from an illustrator’s point of view. But the writing part surprised me ~ came up from behind and tapped me on the shoulder. I realized that my head and heart were very full of stories and that I should pay attention! My ideas come from everyday life, and I write for readers of all ages.
I live in the Connecticut woods with my husband and three children. (Well, the kids are getting big and they all drive cars now so they come and go a lot these days.) We keep our bird feeders full, do a little gardening and stack a lot of firewood. I hike the trails near my home almost every morning. Then I make a pot of tea and get to work. Usually, my loyal Writing Dogs are right by my side. (Sometimes I even borrow dogs from my neighbors. You can’t have enough dogs.)
I love making artisan pizzas and pots of soup and my favorite treat is dark chocolate. I also love to ride my bike down to the diner to meet my friends for breakfast and more tea. (Hmm...that’s a lot of eating, isn’t it?)
Life is fine!
My life began suddenly (you can even ask my mother) in an antique farmhouse outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I was born right on the family room floor ~ no time to get to the hospital! I swear, I’ve been in a hurry ever since.
When I was in fourth grade we moved to a neighborhood full of kids outside of Schenectady, New York. My Dad worked for a company that sold some of the finest printing papers in all the land. He often brought home big, beautiful, heavy books that pinned me to my chair when I held them in my lap, and I loved to turn the pages, look at the photography and illustrations and smell the ink.
As a kid I took dancing lessons and did gymnastics. I could be found upside-down in odd places like the middle of the stairway, not that I recommend it! My bedroom was a messy nest full of paint sets and paper scraps, embroidery threads and sewing projects. In school I was good at some things and not at all good at others. Still, I found my passions. I went to college, first at SUNY, Cobleskill, where I received an associate’s degree in agriculture, and later at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Ct. where I earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art.
At first, I was interested in children’s books from an illustrator’s point of view. But the writing part surprised me ~ came up from behind and tapped me on the shoulder. I realized that my head and heart were very full of stories and that I should pay attention! My ideas come from everyday life, and I write for readers of all ages.
I live in the Connecticut woods with my husband and three children. (Well, the kids are getting big and they all drive cars now so they come and go a lot these days.) We keep our bird feeders full, do a little gardening and stack a lot of firewood. I hike the trails near my home almost every morning. Then I make a pot of tea and get to work. Usually, my loyal Writing Dogs are right by my side. (Sometimes I even borrow dogs from my neighbors. You can’t have enough dogs.)
I love making artisan pizzas and pots of soup and my favorite treat is dark chocolate. I also love to ride my bike down to the diner to meet my friends for breakfast and more tea. (Hmm...that’s a lot of eating, isn’t it?)
Life is fine!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
November 30, 2019
Lydia may just be the modern day Anne with an e. I want to spend time on Pinnacle Hill with all of the people and animals Lydia loves. Leslie Connor has a way of getting straight to a reader's heart. I LOVE this book!
March 10, 2021
It's a dog story. , there are parts of this story that are sad. Lydia is grieving; her mother has just passed away at the start of the story. She quickly finds herself moving from her Rochester, New York home to a small town in rural Connecticut to live with her two aunts. Shortly after the family adopts the baddest dog ever. This is a story about adapting to change, making new friends, and discovering your 'people'.
Give this one to the fans of emotional dog stories like Joan Bauer's Almost Home or Patricia McLachlan's Waiting for the Magic.
Give this one to the fans of emotional dog stories like Joan Bauer's Almost Home or Patricia McLachlan's Waiting for the Magic.
March 3, 2021
At least 90% of books with dogs end with the dog dying. This is a fact. In the remaining 10%, the dog will survive, but only after being horribly injured/placed in mortal danger/lost in the woods. Either way, you will sob.
March 20, 2020
So let me start by saying I've really wavered on this rating. In the end, I went with the higher option. Let me explain. I fully realize that I'm not the intended audience for this novel. However, I am glad that us bloggers fully understand we can read what we want without being judged. And with everything going on in the world, I wanted a nice fluffy MG book. Well, wrong choice. Once again, I probably didn't pay close attention to the synopsis and why would I? Look at that cover!
So when this book starts out, Lydia, the 12-year-old MC's mother has died. She is being picked up by her Aunt Brat, and going to live with her in a small Connecticut town. Lydia's father walked out on her when she was seven, and her mother lived with a chronic heart condition. Lydia's life has not been great. Yet she and her mother made the best of it and spent lots of time together on art. They made a collection of goddesses to celebrate the good and bad in their lives and these goddesses are moving to the country farm with Lydia. Once there, her Aunt and her wife decide to adopt a new dog and he also comes with some baggage. Lydia has to make new friends, mourn her mother and try not to be a burden to her new family while at the same time learning to be a dog person.
So as you can tell, Lydia has been through a lot. I understand why this book would be great for kids. It delves a lot into relationships and loss. Lydia's Aunt Brat and her wife also live with a crotchety old man, Elloroy, who is obsessed with his own death. But man, Elloroy was one of my faves. Several times a day he would lament the fact that he wasn't dead yet to the point it starts to become a household joke. I also fell in love with Guffer, the beautiful dog on the cover.
So you may be asking what was the problem. Well let me tell you. First, there was baby pygmy goat abuse. Serious abuse as in they are found with two back hooves and their ears cut off! The MG me wouldn't want to read about that. And then, SPOILER ALERT!!!!! Guffer wakes up one morning and can't walk. His back end is practically paralyzed. They have to take him outside with the help of a towel because he's a large dog. And he needs emergency surgery to live. Well, he does live, but my precious Booker T didn't so I didn't need to relive that either.
All in all though none of my issues were the author's fault. Well maybe the goats but SPOILER ALERT!!!!! they live too. There is lots to love about this book and it teaches a lot of great lessons. Lydia is a wonderful kid and she deserves some wonderful things to happen for her. If I haven't sent you screaming for the hills yet and you enjoy MG, then pick this up. It deserves some attention.
So when this book starts out, Lydia, the 12-year-old MC's mother has died. She is being picked up by her Aunt Brat, and going to live with her in a small Connecticut town. Lydia's father walked out on her when she was seven, and her mother lived with a chronic heart condition. Lydia's life has not been great. Yet she and her mother made the best of it and spent lots of time together on art. They made a collection of goddesses to celebrate the good and bad in their lives and these goddesses are moving to the country farm with Lydia. Once there, her Aunt and her wife decide to adopt a new dog and he also comes with some baggage. Lydia has to make new friends, mourn her mother and try not to be a burden to her new family while at the same time learning to be a dog person.
So as you can tell, Lydia has been through a lot. I understand why this book would be great for kids. It delves a lot into relationships and loss. Lydia's Aunt Brat and her wife also live with a crotchety old man, Elloroy, who is obsessed with his own death. But man, Elloroy was one of my faves. Several times a day he would lament the fact that he wasn't dead yet to the point it starts to become a household joke. I also fell in love with Guffer, the beautiful dog on the cover.
So you may be asking what was the problem. Well let me tell you. First, there was baby pygmy goat abuse. Serious abuse as in they are found with two back hooves and their ears cut off! The MG me wouldn't want to read about that. And then, SPOILER ALERT!!!!! Guffer wakes up one morning and can't walk. His back end is practically paralyzed. They have to take him outside with the help of a towel because he's a large dog. And he needs emergency surgery to live. Well, he does live, but my precious Booker T didn't so I didn't need to relive that either.
All in all though none of my issues were the author's fault. Well maybe the goats but SPOILER ALERT!!!!! they live too. There is lots to love about this book and it teaches a lot of great lessons. Lydia is a wonderful kid and she deserves some wonderful things to happen for her. If I haven't sent you screaming for the hills yet and you enjoy MG, then pick this up. It deserves some attention.
February 20, 2020
After Lydia's mom dies she goes to live with her Aunt Brat and her wife Eileen. The two women know exactly what Lydia needs and give her the space, yet love, to heal and grieve. Enter the big yellow duff, Guffer, the pygmy goats, and the small group of children who are in Lydia' class who befriend her and make her a part of them! I so loved Lydia's world and Leslie Connor brought these characters to life with a rich story that just feels good! Probably my favorite character was Elloroy (rhymes with Jello-Boy!). While he had few words, they were significant and wise! This will be a highly recommended book to kids.
May 3, 2020
I enjoyed Waiting for Normal and I absolutely LOVED The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, so I was really excited to read Leslie Connor's latest middle grade novel. It fell far short of the brilliance and emotional resonance of Mason Buttle, however. This is a sweet, mostly gentle realistic contemporary story that starts in loss and grief and ends in abundance. It's a soft landing of a book, perhaps welcome and needed in this time of societal upheaval. But for me, it fell short in emotional resonance.
Lydia has inherited preternatural wisdom and an instinct for creativity from her deceased mother, and after years of isolation as the homeschooled sole caretaker of her terminally ill mother, she is thrust into a home of complete strangers in a strange town. Luckily for Lydia, most of the secondary characters in her new home and new school are extraordinarily loving, kind, and generous and to an orphaned child who lands unexpectedly on their quirky little farm in their quirky little town inhabited by lots of quirky people and quirky traditions. Of course, Lydia is chock-full of quirks and eccentricities herself, so she's lucky to have landed among this serendipitous tribe of very accepting super-quirky people.
With the exception of one cranky and instrusive neighbor who appears in a few scenes, there are no bad guys here.
I enjoyed Lydia's gay aunts and their elderly housemate, and I appreciated the rarity of a story of a quirky middle school student relocating to a new town and being welcomed by kind peers rather than the typical storyline of bullying and ostracism. But all that feel-good just felt a bit saccharine, perhaps, with all these quirky players feeling like set pieces rather than people. The abundance of quirky people doing quirky things amid the main character's grief reminded me of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, which also dealt with reactions to grief over the death of a mother, and similarly also was not particularly emotionally resonant for me.
Mason Buttle was a brilliant, moving book that I think suffered from an unfortunate cover that may have turned many readers away. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs may have the serendipitous opposite fate: more sales and circulation because of the appeal of the dog on the cover, but with a less finely tuned novel inside.
Lydia has inherited preternatural wisdom and an instinct for creativity from her deceased mother, and after years of isolation as the homeschooled sole caretaker of her terminally ill mother, she is thrust into a home of complete strangers in a strange town. Luckily for Lydia, most of the secondary characters in her new home and new school are extraordinarily loving, kind, and generous and to an orphaned child who lands unexpectedly on their quirky little farm in their quirky little town inhabited by lots of quirky people and quirky traditions. Of course, Lydia is chock-full of quirks and eccentricities herself, so she's lucky to have landed among this serendipitous tribe of very accepting super-quirky people.
With the exception of one cranky and instrusive neighbor who appears in a few scenes, there are no bad guys here.
I enjoyed Lydia's gay aunts and their elderly housemate, and I appreciated the rarity of a story of a quirky middle school student relocating to a new town and being welcomed by kind peers rather than the typical storyline of bullying and ostracism. But all that feel-good just felt a bit saccharine, perhaps, with all these quirky players feeling like set pieces rather than people. The abundance of quirky people doing quirky things amid the main character's grief reminded me of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, which also dealt with reactions to grief over the death of a mother, and similarly also was not particularly emotionally resonant for me.
Mason Buttle was a brilliant, moving book that I think suffered from an unfortunate cover that may have turned many readers away. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs may have the serendipitous opposite fate: more sales and circulation because of the appeal of the dog on the cover, but with a less finely tuned novel inside.
January 12, 2020
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
This is another story by Leslie Connor that will tug on your heartstrings and keep hold of them until the story is over. I love her writing; she's a go-to author for me, even when she makes me feel things that are hard.
Lydia and her mom have been homeschooling for the last couple of years as her mother's health declines. Although her mother's death from heart failure is not unexpected, Lydia must now deal with the emotions that come after the loss. She goes to live with her mother's sister, Aunt Brat, her wife Eileen, and their elderly landlord and friend, Elloroy. Soon after she arrives, Brat and Eileen follow through with their plans to adopt a rescue dog, which bring a heap of trouble into the household. Not only is Lydia trying to adapt to being the new girl in a small school where everyone knows everything, but also must settle into a new home with its unfamiliar people and pets. Lydia has a secret, though, and soon discovers that she's not the only one in the house that has one. This new family needs to learn to trust each other, and grow together in the process.
I really loved Lydia, and her resilience, given everything she's experienced. I love watching her try to please the grownups around her, and slowly growing to love them and their new rescue dog, Guffer. There is so much hope in this story despite the emotional challenges the characters face. It was extremely difficult for me to read many parts with Guffer as my rescue dog died less a year ago and the author's beautiful writing struck a very tender spot, but I'm still so glad I read this story. I really appreciate the positive representation of Brat and Eileen's relationship, and the support network they became for Lydia. It's the characters that really spoke to me, and made the story so emotional.
This is another story by Leslie Connor that will tug on your heartstrings and keep hold of them until the story is over. I love her writing; she's a go-to author for me, even when she makes me feel things that are hard.
Lydia and her mom have been homeschooling for the last couple of years as her mother's health declines. Although her mother's death from heart failure is not unexpected, Lydia must now deal with the emotions that come after the loss. She goes to live with her mother's sister, Aunt Brat, her wife Eileen, and their elderly landlord and friend, Elloroy. Soon after she arrives, Brat and Eileen follow through with their plans to adopt a rescue dog, which bring a heap of trouble into the household. Not only is Lydia trying to adapt to being the new girl in a small school where everyone knows everything, but also must settle into a new home with its unfamiliar people and pets. Lydia has a secret, though, and soon discovers that she's not the only one in the house that has one. This new family needs to learn to trust each other, and grow together in the process.
I really loved Lydia, and her resilience, given everything she's experienced. I love watching her try to please the grownups around her, and slowly growing to love them and their new rescue dog, Guffer. There is so much hope in this story despite the emotional challenges the characters face. It was extremely difficult for me to read many parts with Guffer as my rescue dog died less a year ago and the author's beautiful writing struck a very tender spot, but I'm still so glad I read this story. I really appreciate the positive representation of Brat and Eileen's relationship, and the support network they became for Lydia. It's the characters that really spoke to me, and made the story so emotional.
November 1, 2023
I am completely smitten with this middle grade novel. As with her other novels, Leslie Connor has reached out of the page, grabbed my heart and brought me right into the story with loveable, resilient, spirited characters that I wanted to stay with much, much longer. The book begins with Lydia heading off to Connecticut to live with her Aunt Brat and her wife after her mother passed away from a long battle with heart disease. She’s getting to know her new adults (as she calls them), learning how to care for their newly-adopted misbehaving dog, adjusting to a new school in a small town and trying to find her way without her mother. Infused with love, hope and art, this book will have your heart and make you want to run right out and create mixed media goddesses for yourself. Trust me, I promise. Read the book to find out why. =)
March 16, 2020
This story was quite amazing. I wish I had better words, but it just completely caught me by surprise. I checked it out on a whim (it was not on my TBR list) and even with a surprise snowstorm and coronavirus and schools and businesses being closed down, I felt like I was cozied up in a soft, warm blanket of love by the time I finished. So much devastating loss, but then healing and bonding and love and strength by the end. Thirteen-year-old Lydia was extremely close to her mom before her death. Now she has to come to terms with moving in her Aunt Brat, her wife, Eileen, and Elloroy, the elderly gentleman who owns the home they'll be living in. This unusual family hits a few bumps along the way, but there's so much they face and grow through, together. And if you have a soft place in your heart for dogs and other animals, then you will find yourself right at home with this story.
NOTE: I tend to judge books by their cover, without even realizing it. However, now that I'm on the other side of this story, I can definitely say I have a much deeper appreciation for the artwork on the front of the book.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
NOTE: I tend to judge books by their cover, without even realizing it. However, now that I'm on the other side of this story, I can definitely say I have a much deeper appreciation for the artwork on the front of the book.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
April 10, 2020
Finished Leslie’s newest and it was just such a feel good, heart print story.
Lydia’s mom had just recently been terminally ill and passed away, her father had left them 6 years prior because he just couldn’t “handle” her moms illness. Lydias mom though had made a plan for her and throughout the story every decision Lydia channels her mom and what advice she would be giving her before acting. In this plan, Lydia goes to live with her aunt and her wife, and shortly after a newly adopted dog - but Lydia doesn’t like dogs, and this dog brings loads of trouble. As the story progresses, Lydia experiences some major plot twists, finds and understands family, and is resilient through every experience.
The characters were strong and what you cling to. 💜
Lydia’s mom had just recently been terminally ill and passed away, her father had left them 6 years prior because he just couldn’t “handle” her moms illness. Lydias mom though had made a plan for her and throughout the story every decision Lydia channels her mom and what advice she would be giving her before acting. In this plan, Lydia goes to live with her aunt and her wife, and shortly after a newly adopted dog - but Lydia doesn’t like dogs, and this dog brings loads of trouble. As the story progresses, Lydia experiences some major plot twists, finds and understands family, and is resilient through every experience.
The characters were strong and what you cling to. 💜
August 25, 2024
I read this aloud with my 11-year-old (who is NOT too old for read alouds, mind you). This book being on the longer side, and adolescent sports schedules being what they are, it took us a while to read through the whole thing, but it was a nice book to have available on the nightstand when a cuddle with Mama and the dog was just the thing. I love books that celebrate forming families from whoever is around and willing to generate some love, and A HOME FOR GODDESSES AND DOGS delivers here: Lydia is an eighth-grader who, after her mom dies from a heart condition, moves to rural Connecticut to live with her aunt, her aunt's wife, and the eccentric and geriatric landlord.
And there are dogs.
And snow!
And goats, if goats are your thing. BABY goats.
An action-packed or snarky novel this is not; the story moves along slowly, as one would expect Lydia's grief to unfurl. A sweet, well-written novel that I love, love, loved reading with my girl. And, of course, our dog.
And there are dogs.
And snow!
And goats, if goats are your thing. BABY goats.
An action-packed or snarky novel this is not; the story moves along slowly, as one would expect Lydia's grief to unfurl. A sweet, well-written novel that I love, love, loved reading with my girl. And, of course, our dog.
July 30, 2022
cw for animal abuse, death of a parent, abandonment by a parent
This was lovely and dealt with the sad issues in a way I could cope with. Dog stories are always sentimental, and often sad. This one was mostly uplifting, with wonderful people in it. Maybe they were a bit too good to be real sometimes ;-) But why not write about people you would want to be with. And the dog does well at the end of the book.
Top notch audio narration.
This was lovely and dealt with the sad issues in a way I could cope with. Dog stories are always sentimental, and often sad. This one was mostly uplifting, with wonderful people in it. Maybe they were a bit too good to be real sometimes ;-) But why not write about people you would want to be with. And the dog does well at the end of the book.
Top notch audio narration.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2020
4.5 stars, but rounding up! This was a very satisfying story that, as it progressed, brought happy tears to my eyes. I especially loved the idea of the goddesses and will share with my creative friends, as well as my animal-loving friends. I have read 5 of Leslie Connor's books and enjoyed them all; this is my favorite so far. (Thanks, Leslie, from someone who lives in the Schenectady area!)
April 6, 2020
The SWEETEST middle grade book about a girl and her dog since Because of Winn Dixie! I loved Lydia so much!
July 9, 2022
When I tell you I cried
September 20, 2019
“You’ll be all right. You come from strong.” (1) In the months after her death, Lydia Bratches-Kemp finds out just how true her mother’s words were.
Thirteen-year-old Lydia has experienced many challenges in her young life. Her father left home when she was six, at the same time her mother became ill with a heart condition. Lydia helped take care of her mother for seven years until she died. But it wasn’t all sadness; her mother homeschooled her so they could spend time together enjoying nature and making art and goddesses, collages from old photographs bought at a flea market.
When Lydia is taken in by her mother’s sister Bratches and her wife Eileen who live in the small town of Chelmsford, CT, a town of farms and strong women and girls, she undergoes a myriad of new experiences. She attends a school where the twelve 8th graders, who have known each other and all the townspeople their whole lives, welcome her with open arms, especially Raya and Sari who show up on her doorstep on weekends and take her to visit every farm and teach her to snowshoe. She, Bratches, and Eileen live with the kind 90-something-year-old Elloroy, owner of their house, who is, in his words, “almost dead” and Soonie, his sweet, old greyhound.
And last there is Guffer, the dog whom Bratches, Eillen, and the reluctant Lydia adopt. “I wanted to stop them and ask., Are you sure? Sure you don’t want to wait and see how one rescue goes before you get yourselves into another? Not to liken myself to a dog, exactly. But I had been taken in.” (45) Lydia, by her own words was not a dog person, but as they train the “bad” dog, she becomes more and more attached. “It’d been twelve weeks since Aunt Brat had first driven me up Pinnacle Hill in her boxy car.… We’d [Guffer and I] arrived the same week; We’d both had our lives changed.” (311)
As she deals with secrets—hers and Bratches’; new family, friends and neighbors; pymy goats; a missing father, and her first kiss, she settles in as a member of this close community. “I soaked up the scene. There was something so easy, so right, about watching my friends peel off their boots and jackets in the front hall and something so everyday about Guffer coming to inspect their empty footwear.” (237)
But her love for Guffer also gives her the strength, supported by her new family, to face the adult bully who threatens him. “’Turns out I’m pretty strong,’ I told [Elloroy].” (369)
Thirteen-year-old Lydia has experienced many challenges in her young life. Her father left home when she was six, at the same time her mother became ill with a heart condition. Lydia helped take care of her mother for seven years until she died. But it wasn’t all sadness; her mother homeschooled her so they could spend time together enjoying nature and making art and goddesses, collages from old photographs bought at a flea market.
When Lydia is taken in by her mother’s sister Bratches and her wife Eileen who live in the small town of Chelmsford, CT, a town of farms and strong women and girls, she undergoes a myriad of new experiences. She attends a school where the twelve 8th graders, who have known each other and all the townspeople their whole lives, welcome her with open arms, especially Raya and Sari who show up on her doorstep on weekends and take her to visit every farm and teach her to snowshoe. She, Bratches, and Eileen live with the kind 90-something-year-old Elloroy, owner of their house, who is, in his words, “almost dead” and Soonie, his sweet, old greyhound.
And last there is Guffer, the dog whom Bratches, Eillen, and the reluctant Lydia adopt. “I wanted to stop them and ask., Are you sure? Sure you don’t want to wait and see how one rescue goes before you get yourselves into another? Not to liken myself to a dog, exactly. But I had been taken in.” (45) Lydia, by her own words was not a dog person, but as they train the “bad” dog, she becomes more and more attached. “It’d been twelve weeks since Aunt Brat had first driven me up Pinnacle Hill in her boxy car.… We’d [Guffer and I] arrived the same week; We’d both had our lives changed.” (311)
As she deals with secrets—hers and Bratches’; new family, friends and neighbors; pymy goats; a missing father, and her first kiss, she settles in as a member of this close community. “I soaked up the scene. There was something so easy, so right, about watching my friends peel off their boots and jackets in the front hall and something so everyday about Guffer coming to inspect their empty footwear.” (237)
But her love for Guffer also gives her the strength, supported by her new family, to face the adult bully who threatens him. “’Turns out I’m pretty strong,’ I told [Elloroy].” (369)
December 20, 2020
You had me at goddesses and dogs, or really just dogs. Seriously, anything about dogs, especially if it's about rescuing dogs that might be euthanized or are being mistreated. Yeah, that's my jam, really it is, big time. All my dogs have been rescues. I'm writing this as I look across the room at Deke, an 82# German Shepherd, my latest rescue from a kill shelter in California, rescued the day before he was to be euthanized. He's my big silly, sloppy, truck loving boy. But I got off track a bit here. This story is about more than rescuing dogs. It's about grief and loss and healing, about finding the meaning of love and family. And a big yellow dog plays a big part in that. This is a feel good book with characters that I honestly fell completely in love with.
August 25, 2025
This was a really nice book -- what a word, nice. What I mean is that I kept wanting to come back to it, to listen some more, to spend time with the characters some more. The audio book reader was delightful, the characters are really great -- from Eileen's braying laugh to Elloroy's anticipation of death, to Aunt Brat's calm and sometimes clinically rational responses on all occasions. Lydia's extraordinary bond with her mother is almost its own character, and Lydia, of course, is a really endearing, dry, buttoned-up girl, with private snarky thoughts and a remarkable resilience. And then there are the dogs. Funny how dogs creep into our lives whether they are invited or not, or whether we enthusiastically welcome them or not. This is a good dog story. A good goat story. A great art story, and a really excellent story about grief and love and found family. *spoiler* the main lgbtq contribution is Aunt Brat and Eileen's relationship.
notes-on-unfinished-books
August 23, 2020I read four chapters. A lot of quirky New England characters interacting. Reminded me a lot of John Irving. The titular goddesses are old photographs redecorated to represent aspects of the characters' lives.
This book was well-written, but it did not particularly grab me.
This book was well-written, but it did not particularly grab me.
June 26, 2025
This one is probably banned because one of the subject headings is lesbians--juvenile fiction. Also possibly because of the goddesses in the title. However, if the banners in Texas actually READ the novel, they would see that it is not a "gay" book nor is it a pagan book.
The main character, 13-year-old Lydia, lived with her single mother who was in heart failure. They took photos of women and decoupaged ephemera and made "goddesses". Holly, Lydia's mom, made up some and drew from real gods like Janus. They were a source of comfort to Holly and Lydia when times were bad and when things were going well. These goddesses form the basis of Lydia's happiest memories with her mom and her grief over bring orphaned. (She has a dead beat dad).
Lydia goes to live with Aunt Brat (short for Bratches, their surname), her mother's much older sister and Aunt Brat's wife Eileen. Brat and Eileen love one another and support each other in good times and bad like any other couple. There's no sex, nobody in bed, not even KISSING! Just hugging and holding on for comfort when Eileen experiences something traumatic.
Towards the end of the book, three thirteen year old girls are discussing falling in love and kissing. One girl says she KNOWS she wants to kiss girls as much as guys. She isn't sure guys can have the same warmth as girls. Lydia says she's been wondering the same thing. Another girl says she knows she wants to kiss guys and marry a man who will be her "bro" because they have the same interests. Yet she also expresses feeling like a guy sometimes because her interests are more traditionally masculine and 90% of people she knows who like the same things are guys. That's all! Lydia also relates experiencing her first kiss.
The only other thing that might get this book banned is death. Lydia has observed that people are uncomfortable with death. Lydia's mother was open and matter-of-fact about it. People looked away because they didn't want to see the woman with an oxygen tank. When people say Lydia lost her mother, she says she didn't lose her mother, her mother DIED. People are uncomfortable with this.
The writing style is a little too polished and the voice too mature for a middle grades novel. Sometimes, especially at the end, Lydia sounds much more mature than 13. Yes she's been through a lot but all the kids are introspective and mature.
The majority of the book is about Lydia healing and coming to terms with her new life while helping train the world's best worst dog. Lydia and her mother were very close. Holly sounds like a wonderful mom but also the kind of mom who was her daughter's best friend. Because Holly had heart failure and was turned down for a transplant three times, Lydia lived with the specter of her mother's death hanging over them. Holly prepared Lydia the best she could. Lydia knew it was going to happen and how and it was up to her to deal with the arrangement. At first Lydia is hurting but trying to put on a brave face. She could be a tough kid. She's angry with her father for walking out on her mother and her years ago and of course missing her mother. Lydia tries to put on a brave and happy face, to go along with what others expect her to do, hiding her true feelings. She hides her goddesses as well. They're tied to happy memories and sad memories in her past and Lydia wants to keep those feelings and her goddesses to herself. Slowly, with the help of a rescue dog and the other kids in town, she learns to adapt and adjust to her new life and isn't so prickly. She's not as prickly as a foster child but she's walled off her feelings so others don't think badly of her. It's a defense mechanism like maybe she'll be sent away if she doesn't go with the flow and fit in.
Guffer is a rescue with hip dysplasia and a lot of behavior issues. Lydia at first insists she's not a dog person. Aunt Brat and Eileen made plans to adopt before Lydia arrived and they just assume she'll be as enthusiastic as they are. While Eileen is more crazy about goats, she loves animals Aunt Brat is a dog person. They have chosen the least popular dog at the rescue event! Poor yellow dog with his lopsided gate, skinny and wild, Guffer is not the ideal first dog for a child. Yet, Lydia is not just any child. Like Guffer, she has been adopted into this family and has to learn her place in the pack and how to get along without her mom. Guffer has a lot of trouble learning manners. Personally I think an enzyme cleaner would have taken care of some of his problems. Eventually they figure it out and eventually Guffer becomes a treasured member of the family, just as Lydia is loved and treasured by her aunts and Elloroy. I confess to shedding a few years over that handsome yellow dog! I'm a sucker for the best bad dogs and PROBABLY would have been TEMPTED to adopt him myself. Brat and Eileen already have a rescued Greyhound so they think they know what they're doing, so if I were them, I probably WOULD have gone for Guffer. He could have been put down if no one else adopted him! I want to know what happened to the rest of the leftovers though. (I wanted the little one). I think Lydia needed Guffer as much as he needed her. They rescued each other.
Aunt Brat and Eileen are cool humans. Aunt Brat is tall, athletic and outdoorsy. She's kind of no-nonsense but trying to figure out how be a mom while still being a cool aunt that Lydia can talk to. What I didn't like about the book was how Aunt Brat has lost her little sister and that is barely addressed! Only briefly in the beginning. Brat was much older and they didn't see each other very often but still, I get the impression Brat loved and admired her baby sister. Eileen is the silly, goofy aunt. She's a hands-off parent- she leaves parenting to Aunt Brat. Eileen is more experienced with animals. The way I am obsessed with dogs, she is obsessed with goats. I really enjoyed and appreciated the model of a happy, loving, supportive couple. You don't get that a lot in kidlit. There's usually some conflict there but there's none here. The women love and support one another. They also have hurt feelings and nights when someone is sleeping on the couch just like any other couple. Elloroy is a nonagenarian who owns the farm where the Bratches live. In exchange for doing the chores and helping with expenses, he lets them live there and he partitions off a suite for himself. He's a charming, funny old man who often makes jokes about his own mortality. He's over 90 but shows no signs of dementia or anything. He often keeps to himself but as the house warms up with the sounds of young people, he comes alive again (still making jokes about death). He's neutral about the dog and lets the women handle that but I think he, too, cares for Guffer. I love Elloroy and after Guffer, he's my favorite character.
Lydia's new friends are Sari and Raya. They've been appointed to show her around, which means endless tramps through the snow and mud, across fields and into barns, which Lydia does NOT like - at first. They show her the country lifestyle. Then they keep coming. The girls don't stop even when Lydia shows she doesn't want to go or she turns back before they're ready. There's no mean girl behavior at all, which is quite nice. With only 12 kids in the 8th grade, they all have to get along or school will be miserable. Sari is more introspective than Raya. She talks a lot but is also artsy and creative. Raya is a fierce defender of the environment, enjoys woodworking and fishing and doing things- anything. She exhibits signs of ADHD but manages to function because the country gives her opportunities to work off her energy. Moss Capperow is a sweet, sensitive boy. He's sort of friends with Lydia and the one who sees her growing bond with Guffer. He's a wise boy but his uncle, Mick, is a horrible person. Mick Capperow is the villain in the story. He's a bully, an angry man and a cruel man. He's abusive towards his nephew and the dog too. I strongly suspect he's cruel to animals and behind something horrific that happens. I also thought he might be motivated by homophobia but it never comes up. (In rural Connecticut? REALLY?) I hope he is caught and punished for what he did, unless he didn't do it but he should still be punished for being mean to Guffer.
Another great minor character is Flory, a girl with special needs who raises Belgian rabbits. She's very sweet and wiser than anyone realizes. Her mom, Gwen, is a superhero.
Lydia's dad Kemp walked out on his family seven years ago, leaving an ill wife and confused child behind. Lydia and Holly managed without him. Technically, Lydia is not an orphan and Aunt Brat is not her last of next of kin. I'm sure the courts would have tracked down Kemp and asked him to take her if Brat couldn't. Lydia doesn't consider him because he hasn't been around half her life. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because he did write to Lydia and send her money but then something is revealed that made me hate him.
I think this is a good book for tweens, girls and boys. I think sweet 14-year-old niece would enjoy it if she'd give it a chance. (No pictures= not for her) I bet she would feel inspired to make some goddesses of her own.
Content:
There's some animal cruelty in one part of the book and some environmental issues discussed.
I would put the subject headings at
rescue dogs -- juvenile fiction (or just dogs if rescue isn't an option)
dog training--juvenile fiction
death--juvenile fiction
mothers and daughters--juvenile fiction
families--juvenile fiction
and maybe farm life or farming. I wouldn't even include lesbians because it's not even about that.
The main character, 13-year-old Lydia, lived with her single mother who was in heart failure. They took photos of women and decoupaged ephemera and made "goddesses". Holly, Lydia's mom, made up some and drew from real gods like Janus. They were a source of comfort to Holly and Lydia when times were bad and when things were going well. These goddesses form the basis of Lydia's happiest memories with her mom and her grief over bring orphaned. (She has a dead beat dad).
Lydia goes to live with Aunt Brat (short for Bratches, their surname), her mother's much older sister and Aunt Brat's wife Eileen. Brat and Eileen love one another and support each other in good times and bad like any other couple. There's no sex, nobody in bed, not even KISSING! Just hugging and holding on for comfort when Eileen experiences something traumatic.
Towards the end of the book, three thirteen year old girls are discussing falling in love and kissing. One girl says she KNOWS she wants to kiss girls as much as guys. She isn't sure guys can have the same warmth as girls. Lydia says she's been wondering the same thing. Another girl says she knows she wants to kiss guys and marry a man who will be her "bro" because they have the same interests. Yet she also expresses feeling like a guy sometimes because her interests are more traditionally masculine and 90% of people she knows who like the same things are guys. That's all! Lydia also relates experiencing her first kiss.
The only other thing that might get this book banned is death. Lydia has observed that people are uncomfortable with death. Lydia's mother was open and matter-of-fact about it. People looked away because they didn't want to see the woman with an oxygen tank. When people say Lydia lost her mother, she says she didn't lose her mother, her mother DIED. People are uncomfortable with this.
The writing style is a little too polished and the voice too mature for a middle grades novel. Sometimes, especially at the end, Lydia sounds much more mature than 13. Yes she's been through a lot but all the kids are introspective and mature.
The majority of the book is about Lydia healing and coming to terms with her new life while helping train the world's best worst dog. Lydia and her mother were very close. Holly sounds like a wonderful mom but also the kind of mom who was her daughter's best friend. Because Holly had heart failure and was turned down for a transplant three times, Lydia lived with the specter of her mother's death hanging over them. Holly prepared Lydia the best she could. Lydia knew it was going to happen and how and it was up to her to deal with the arrangement. At first Lydia is hurting but trying to put on a brave face. She could be a tough kid. She's angry with her father for walking out on her mother and her years ago and of course missing her mother. Lydia tries to put on a brave and happy face, to go along with what others expect her to do, hiding her true feelings. She hides her goddesses as well. They're tied to happy memories and sad memories in her past and Lydia wants to keep those feelings and her goddesses to herself. Slowly, with the help of a rescue dog and the other kids in town, she learns to adapt and adjust to her new life and isn't so prickly. She's not as prickly as a foster child but she's walled off her feelings so others don't think badly of her. It's a defense mechanism like maybe she'll be sent away if she doesn't go with the flow and fit in.
Guffer is a rescue with hip dysplasia and a lot of behavior issues. Lydia at first insists she's not a dog person. Aunt Brat and Eileen made plans to adopt before Lydia arrived and they just assume she'll be as enthusiastic as they are. While Eileen is more crazy about goats, she loves animals Aunt Brat is a dog person. They have chosen the least popular dog at the rescue event! Poor yellow dog with his lopsided gate, skinny and wild, Guffer is not the ideal first dog for a child. Yet, Lydia is not just any child. Like Guffer, she has been adopted into this family and has to learn her place in the pack and how to get along without her mom. Guffer has a lot of trouble learning manners. Personally I think an enzyme cleaner would have taken care of some of his problems. Eventually they figure it out and eventually Guffer becomes a treasured member of the family, just as Lydia is loved and treasured by her aunts and Elloroy. I confess to shedding a few years over that handsome yellow dog! I'm a sucker for the best bad dogs and PROBABLY would have been TEMPTED to adopt him myself. Brat and Eileen already have a rescued Greyhound so they think they know what they're doing, so if I were them, I probably WOULD have gone for Guffer. He could have been put down if no one else adopted him! I want to know what happened to the rest of the leftovers though. (I wanted the little one). I think Lydia needed Guffer as much as he needed her. They rescued each other.
Aunt Brat and Eileen are cool humans. Aunt Brat is tall, athletic and outdoorsy. She's kind of no-nonsense but trying to figure out how be a mom while still being a cool aunt that Lydia can talk to. What I didn't like about the book was how Aunt Brat has lost her little sister and that is barely addressed! Only briefly in the beginning. Brat was much older and they didn't see each other very often but still, I get the impression Brat loved and admired her baby sister. Eileen is the silly, goofy aunt. She's a hands-off parent- she leaves parenting to Aunt Brat. Eileen is more experienced with animals. The way I am obsessed with dogs, she is obsessed with goats. I really enjoyed and appreciated the model of a happy, loving, supportive couple. You don't get that a lot in kidlit. There's usually some conflict there but there's none here. The women love and support one another. They also have hurt feelings and nights when someone is sleeping on the couch just like any other couple. Elloroy is a nonagenarian who owns the farm where the Bratches live. In exchange for doing the chores and helping with expenses, he lets them live there and he partitions off a suite for himself. He's a charming, funny old man who often makes jokes about his own mortality. He's over 90 but shows no signs of dementia or anything. He often keeps to himself but as the house warms up with the sounds of young people, he comes alive again (still making jokes about death). He's neutral about the dog and lets the women handle that but I think he, too, cares for Guffer. I love Elloroy and after Guffer, he's my favorite character.
Lydia's new friends are Sari and Raya. They've been appointed to show her around, which means endless tramps through the snow and mud, across fields and into barns, which Lydia does NOT like - at first. They show her the country lifestyle. Then they keep coming. The girls don't stop even when Lydia shows she doesn't want to go or she turns back before they're ready. There's no mean girl behavior at all, which is quite nice. With only 12 kids in the 8th grade, they all have to get along or school will be miserable. Sari is more introspective than Raya. She talks a lot but is also artsy and creative. Raya is a fierce defender of the environment, enjoys woodworking and fishing and doing things- anything. She exhibits signs of ADHD but manages to function because the country gives her opportunities to work off her energy. Moss Capperow is a sweet, sensitive boy. He's sort of friends with Lydia and the one who sees her growing bond with Guffer. He's a wise boy but his uncle, Mick, is a horrible person. Mick Capperow is the villain in the story. He's a bully, an angry man and a cruel man. He's abusive towards his nephew and the dog too. I strongly suspect he's cruel to animals and behind something horrific that happens. I also thought he might be motivated by homophobia but it never comes up. (In rural Connecticut? REALLY?) I hope he is caught and punished for what he did, unless he didn't do it but he should still be punished for being mean to Guffer.
Another great minor character is Flory, a girl with special needs who raises Belgian rabbits. She's very sweet and wiser than anyone realizes. Her mom, Gwen, is a superhero.
Lydia's dad Kemp walked out on his family seven years ago, leaving an ill wife and confused child behind. Lydia and Holly managed without him. Technically, Lydia is not an orphan and Aunt Brat is not her last of next of kin. I'm sure the courts would have tracked down Kemp and asked him to take her if Brat couldn't. Lydia doesn't consider him because he hasn't been around half her life. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because he did write to Lydia and send her money but then something is revealed that made me hate him.
I think this is a good book for tweens, girls and boys. I think sweet 14-year-old niece would enjoy it if she'd give it a chance. (No pictures= not for her) I bet she would feel inspired to make some goddesses of her own.
Content:
There's some animal cruelty in one part of the book and some environmental issues discussed.
I would put the subject headings at
rescue dogs -- juvenile fiction (or just dogs if rescue isn't an option)
dog training--juvenile fiction
death--juvenile fiction
mothers and daughters--juvenile fiction
families--juvenile fiction
and maybe farm life or farming. I wouldn't even include lesbians because it's not even about that.
July 28, 2020
After her mother dies, Lydia goes to live with her aunt Brat and her wife Eileen on a farm in rural CT. Although she knew that her mother’s death was coming soon, nothing can really prepare someone for that kind of loss and Lydia struggles with how to process. She wants to create art and keep quiet, but she is drawn out of her shell and is able to thrive with a loving family, supportive and kind classmates, and the best bad dog a family could have.
The rural/ farm setting is interesting, the characters are well-developed and multi-layered, and there is sadness and trauma, but also joy and laughter. Connor knows how to draft beautiful and compelling stories, and this is no exception. The length of the text, age of the main character (8th grade), and the few animal injuries in the story may make it challenging to promote in my library, but it is so good that I will still be adding it to the collection and will find just the right reader for it!
The rural/ farm setting is interesting, the characters are well-developed and multi-layered, and there is sadness and trauma, but also joy and laughter. Connor knows how to draft beautiful and compelling stories, and this is no exception. The length of the text, age of the main character (8th grade), and the few animal injuries in the story may make it challenging to promote in my library, but it is so good that I will still be adding it to the collection and will find just the right reader for it!
January 11, 2022
When the book begins, we meet 13-year-old Lydia whose mother has just died. She had an “over large” heart. Her parents have been divorced for a long while, and Lydia is moving to Connecticut to live with her aunt, her aunt’s wife, and the owner of the house they rent. Together, they adopt a dog and then we’re off on a journey of healing, making friends, and finding joy. Of Ms. Connor’s many talents, character development is her strongest. The reader really begins to care about each and every character in her books.
— Darcey
— Darcey
May 30, 2020
More like a 3.5. I really liked how the author connected Lydia being rescued by her aunt after her mom died with how they then rescue a dog (and goats) in need. The parallels were definitely apparent to me. I also really liked the overall tone and feel of this book. Lydia is a character that I just wanted to give a hug to the whole time!
May 19, 2021
This book is a wonderful book for when you're feeling sad or happy, and it relates to everyone in some way. It will definitely relate to those who have lost someone close, or those who had to deal with difficult feelings, and difficult animals. Lydia is the main character, and she has to move in with her aunt Bratches and Eileen, because her mom died and her dad walked out when she was younger. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs is the story of how she lives through the eighth grade without a mother or father, but to strong women instead.
January 2, 2021
What a way to start out a new year of reading! This book has it all, dogs, friendship, family and small towns. Lydia becomes part of her Aunt Brat’s family after her mom passes away. While becoming part of the family Lydia learns to love dogs and why you shouldn’t keep secrets. Perfect read for middle grade readers.
February 4, 2021
Heart-warming story of love, loss & joy, as 13-year-old Lydia adjusts to her new family and finds a new home.
Read my full review & listen to a sample of the wonderful audio:
https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2021/...
Read my full review & listen to a sample of the wonderful audio:
https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2021/...
July 24, 2021
A lovely book about healing, family, and home. I promise you that you will fall in love with all of these characters. This book made me cry and laugh and say “awww” out loud. It felt like a warm hug.
July 21, 2020
An almost-orphan and a rescue dog share lots of heart in this winsome coming-of-age story.
December 31, 2024
I love falling into a feel good place like this book.
May 24, 2020
This was a really sweet story. Somethings didn’t jive well - like Uncle Capperow, was he really a necessary character?! - but overall this was a great MG read.
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