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The Bobcat: A Novel
** Longlisted for The Center for Fiction's best debut novel of 2019 **
With the hypnotic intensity of Emily Fridlund’s The History of Wolves and Fiona McFarlane’s The Night Guest, Katherine Forbes Riley has created a mesmerizing love story, in lush, gorgeous prose, that examines art, science, and the magic of human chemistry.
"Teeming with lush imagery and mystical settings, and brimming with alluring magical realism, Riley’s tale is a beguiling journey of discovery and recovery.” — Booklist
Haunting and lyrical, The Bobcat is Katherine Forbes Riley’s magical debut novel in which Laurelie, a young art student who suffers in the aftermath of a sexual assault, has grown progressively more isolated and fearful. She transfers from her busy city university to a small college in rural Vermont, where she retreats into her vivid imagination, experiencing the world through her art. Most comfortable in the company of the child for whom she babysits, and most at ease in the woods, Laurelie has shunned any connection with her peers.
One day, while exploring the woods, she and her young charge encounter an injured pregnant bobcat – and the hiker who has been following it for hundreds of miles. In the hiker and his feline companion Laurelie recognizes someone as reclusive and wary as herself. The hiker, too, finds human companionship painful to endure, yet he is drawn to wounded Laurelie the way he is drawn to the bobcat. As Laurelie moves toward recovery and reconnection she also finds her voice as an artist, and a sense of purpose, maybe even a future, comes into sight. Then the child goes missing in the woods, threatening the bobcat, the hiker, and the fragile peace Laurelie has constructed.
With the hypnotic intensity of Emily Fridlund’s The History of Wolves and Fiona McFarlane’s The Night Guest, Katherine Forbes Riley has created a mesmerizing love story, in lush, gorgeous prose, that examines art, science, and the magic of human chemistry.
"Teeming with lush imagery and mystical settings, and brimming with alluring magical realism, Riley’s tale is a beguiling journey of discovery and recovery.” — Booklist
Haunting and lyrical, The Bobcat is Katherine Forbes Riley’s magical debut novel in which Laurelie, a young art student who suffers in the aftermath of a sexual assault, has grown progressively more isolated and fearful. She transfers from her busy city university to a small college in rural Vermont, where she retreats into her vivid imagination, experiencing the world through her art. Most comfortable in the company of the child for whom she babysits, and most at ease in the woods, Laurelie has shunned any connection with her peers.
One day, while exploring the woods, she and her young charge encounter an injured pregnant bobcat – and the hiker who has been following it for hundreds of miles. In the hiker and his feline companion Laurelie recognizes someone as reclusive and wary as herself. The hiker, too, finds human companionship painful to endure, yet he is drawn to wounded Laurelie the way he is drawn to the bobcat. As Laurelie moves toward recovery and reconnection she also finds her voice as an artist, and a sense of purpose, maybe even a future, comes into sight. Then the child goes missing in the woods, threatening the bobcat, the hiker, and the fragile peace Laurelie has constructed.
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2019
18 people are currently reading
2390 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Forbes Riley
1 book62 followersKatherine Forbes Riley is an award-winning writer and computational linguist. Her debut novel The Bobcat has been long listed for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her writing appears in many literary magazines, most recently the Wigleaf 2018 top 50 list, and in many scientific venues as well. She received her BA from Dartmouth and her doctorate from U. Pennsylvania. She finished The Bobcat while a fellow traveler at the American Academy in Rome. She lives in Vermont with her husband, artist Enrico Riley, and their two children, and can be found online at katherineforbesriley.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
June 18, 2019
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
perhaps you will observe that this book is under 200 pages and you will think to yourself, “my word! what a short book! i will read it quickly and be able to make some headway towards my reading goal for the year!”
this… is not the book for that.
yes, it is a book short in length, but it is a deliberate, descriptive book with very little dialogue, and it needs to be savored and sat with — rushing it will only ruin its mood, and in this book, mood and atmosphere are the dominant features, more central than character or even plot.
obviously there is a plot, there are characters — it’s the story of a young woman’s gradual healing after a sexual assault causes her to retreat from her life; switching colleges, moving from the city of philadelphia to the woods of rural vermont, becoming skittish and self-protectively removed from society — her only company a pair of cats and the little boy she babysits, until she meets a hiker, his dog, and the titular bobcat, and is drawn out of her fear and isolation back towards companionship, trust, and recovery.
but it’s a slow-dawning journey, and there’s a lot to absorb.
the natural world, particularly the nurturing aspects of the natural world, is the primary focus, and the events of the novel unfold mirroring nature’s steady, inevitable timetable. there is much in laurelie and in her tentative relationship with the hiker that suggests the woods’ atmosphere of hushed suspension, a sense of things stirring beneath the soil, both restless and inexorable.
the writing is gorgeous and vivid, and i especially love the way riley describes laurelie’s art — it made not-so-artsy-fartsy me really want to see these pieces realized. but even the most familiar situations are made all fresh and shiny when laurelie’s artist’s view of the world combines with riley’s thick prose:
it is a damn good debut, reminiscent in many ways of All the Birds, Singing, and i’m looking forward to reading more by this author — and seeing laurelie’s art pieces made into their own book, please!!
come to my blog!
perhaps you will observe that this book is under 200 pages and you will think to yourself, “my word! what a short book! i will read it quickly and be able to make some headway towards my reading goal for the year!”
this… is not the book for that.
yes, it is a book short in length, but it is a deliberate, descriptive book with very little dialogue, and it needs to be savored and sat with — rushing it will only ruin its mood, and in this book, mood and atmosphere are the dominant features, more central than character or even plot.
obviously there is a plot, there are characters — it’s the story of a young woman’s gradual healing after a sexual assault causes her to retreat from her life; switching colleges, moving from the city of philadelphia to the woods of rural vermont, becoming skittish and self-protectively removed from society — her only company a pair of cats and the little boy she babysits, until she meets a hiker, his dog, and the titular bobcat, and is drawn out of her fear and isolation back towards companionship, trust, and recovery.
but it’s a slow-dawning journey, and there’s a lot to absorb.
the natural world, particularly the nurturing aspects of the natural world, is the primary focus, and the events of the novel unfold mirroring nature’s steady, inevitable timetable. there is much in laurelie and in her tentative relationship with the hiker that suggests the woods’ atmosphere of hushed suspension, a sense of things stirring beneath the soil, both restless and inexorable.
the writing is gorgeous and vivid, and i especially love the way riley describes laurelie’s art — it made not-so-artsy-fartsy me really want to see these pieces realized. but even the most familiar situations are made all fresh and shiny when laurelie’s artist’s view of the world combines with riley’s thick prose:
… her vision broadened again, deluging her with an accumulation of fresh detail. The motions of the hiker’s fingers opening the other package. The angle his neck made bent, as he worked his way in a few starved bites through one half of the enormous sandwich it contained. The depth of umber where his elbow creased as he folded the rest of it carefully away, and the rigid climb of muscle up his sleeve when he stuck his hand through the open truck window and pulled out a new canvas ball. Already the dog was scrambling to its feet and tearing away down the lane, and now she perceived what she hadn’t before, that these were the first intricate steps of a ballet. Dog running, hiker waiting, timing it before throwing the ball so low and fast that it shot past the dog and struck the ground exactly a foot ahead, and then the dog snapping it up without ever breaking stride and circling back to drop it at the hiker’s feet.
it is a damn good debut, reminiscent in many ways of All the Birds, Singing, and i’m looking forward to reading more by this author — and seeing laurelie’s art pieces made into their own book, please!!
come to my blog!
November 11, 2019
A story that reads like a dream. A dreamlike dance in the alienating aftermath of life’s afflictions. Katherine Forbes Riley grapples with the complex suffering of two people. Laurelie is experiencing a disturbance of self. The man she calls the hiker is as well. Laurelie is unable to explain to anyone why she is so tied up, walled off and frightened. Her paintings are where she expresses herself. She is guided by her thoughts but she’s having trouble perceiving accurately. Her internal experience may not be a necessary call for action. Then, one day she thinks she sees something. She’s not sure she can trust herself. Yet she is babysitting a little boy that she must protect. Trying to keep safe is paramount for her. They encounter the bobcat. The little boy is fascinated and curious. She is terrified. The scene intensified as the hiker emerges on the trail. This story maintains an exquisite balance of fear and love. Fear assists one in keeping safe and alone while love can keep us connected even when we face conflicts in our relationships. An exquisitely told story of trauma and healing.
May 31, 2019
The Bobcat by Katherine Forbes Riley clocks in at 160 pages. I'm sure you're thinking to yourself (like I did) - "Well, that's cool. I can breeze through this book, and add an easy notch to my reading goal for the year."
Unfortunately, not so. With this special book, you find yourself trudging through waist deep waters of gorgeous language, which deserves to be savored. There is very little dialogue as the two main characters are recovering from individual traumatic experiences and find healing in the environment they have relocated themselves to; as well as each other.
I urge you to read the story of Lorelei and the hiker that she finds one day in the woods. It reminds us all of how human relationships can bring not only love, joy and companionship - but, healing and new beginnings as well.
Thank you to Netgalley, Skyhorse Publishing and Katherine Forbes Riley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Review Date: 5/31/19
Publication Date: 6/4/19
Unfortunately, not so. With this special book, you find yourself trudging through waist deep waters of gorgeous language, which deserves to be savored. There is very little dialogue as the two main characters are recovering from individual traumatic experiences and find healing in the environment they have relocated themselves to; as well as each other.
I urge you to read the story of Lorelei and the hiker that she finds one day in the woods. It reminds us all of how human relationships can bring not only love, joy and companionship - but, healing and new beginnings as well.
Thank you to Netgalley, Skyhorse Publishing and Katherine Forbes Riley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Review Date: 5/31/19
Publication Date: 6/4/19
May 28, 2019
Life soon becomes a snare that entraps us when least expected. But it is the breaking free that visits the wild in all of us.
Katherine Forbes Riley weaves a tale unlike what you've been accustomed to in ordinary fiction. She combines earthy prose with untapped human emotions rarely voiced. The Bobcat turns the first pages with the fingertips of Laurelie. Laurelie, an art major, is leaving behind a horrendous experience from the previous Fall in Philadelphia. The endless miles to start fresh in Montague College in Vermont hardly blur the same reoccuring snapshots of being sexually violated at a frat house.
Laurelie rents a small cottage off campus and submerges completely into her art. She sits daily in a local store sketching people that enter and exit. Her art finds its way into creative panels of action emulating the style of Klimt, Gauguin, and even Andy Warhol. She rarely makes eye contact with anyone except her art advisor at the college who encourages her to keep enhancing the panels.
But out of necessity, Laurelie strikes a deal with her landlord to babysit her two year old son to help offset the cost of rent. It is here that the story rises to a new level. Katherine Forbes Riley moves away from encasing her characters with cumbersome names. The young ward is known as "The Boy" who will ease Laurelie back into the sense-engulfing world of nature away from the cottage. They explore winding pathways and curious ponds filled with insects and small creatures. Each day finds Laurelie letting down her guard and welcoming small adventures.
One day The Boy notices a young man sitting near a tent and approaches him. He will be known as "The Hiker" who will play such an integral part in this story. He reveals a hidden place in the woods where an injured bobcat lay ready to give birth. The little group is awestruck that the bobcat allows them to approach even after the babies are born. It is this thread of deep connection that will permeate throughout the telling.
The Bobcat is to be savored and read with the simple expectation of human nature in its healing, its renewal, and its quiet desire to gently be understood. Like the patterned veins on each leaf, so different from one another, and yet so vital for the growth and the vitality of the whole of its parts, The Bobcat will leave you with a continuous place to revisit in your thoughts after the last page.
I received a copy of The Bobcat through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Katherine Forbes Riley and to Skyhorse Publishing for the opportunity.
Katherine Forbes Riley weaves a tale unlike what you've been accustomed to in ordinary fiction. She combines earthy prose with untapped human emotions rarely voiced. The Bobcat turns the first pages with the fingertips of Laurelie. Laurelie, an art major, is leaving behind a horrendous experience from the previous Fall in Philadelphia. The endless miles to start fresh in Montague College in Vermont hardly blur the same reoccuring snapshots of being sexually violated at a frat house.
Laurelie rents a small cottage off campus and submerges completely into her art. She sits daily in a local store sketching people that enter and exit. Her art finds its way into creative panels of action emulating the style of Klimt, Gauguin, and even Andy Warhol. She rarely makes eye contact with anyone except her art advisor at the college who encourages her to keep enhancing the panels.
But out of necessity, Laurelie strikes a deal with her landlord to babysit her two year old son to help offset the cost of rent. It is here that the story rises to a new level. Katherine Forbes Riley moves away from encasing her characters with cumbersome names. The young ward is known as "The Boy" who will ease Laurelie back into the sense-engulfing world of nature away from the cottage. They explore winding pathways and curious ponds filled with insects and small creatures. Each day finds Laurelie letting down her guard and welcoming small adventures.
One day The Boy notices a young man sitting near a tent and approaches him. He will be known as "The Hiker" who will play such an integral part in this story. He reveals a hidden place in the woods where an injured bobcat lay ready to give birth. The little group is awestruck that the bobcat allows them to approach even after the babies are born. It is this thread of deep connection that will permeate throughout the telling.
The Bobcat is to be savored and read with the simple expectation of human nature in its healing, its renewal, and its quiet desire to gently be understood. Like the patterned veins on each leaf, so different from one another, and yet so vital for the growth and the vitality of the whole of its parts, The Bobcat will leave you with a continuous place to revisit in your thoughts after the last page.
I received a copy of The Bobcat through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Katherine Forbes Riley and to Skyhorse Publishing for the opportunity.
June 19, 2019
Laurelie is an art student more comfortable on her own, and even more so after experiencing a sexual assault. She relocates to finish college and encounters a hiker who is even more connected to the natural world than she is.
Healing through nature, finding a voice in art, the power of connection.... And just enough strangeness to keep me guessing. I'm still thinking about the end.
I received an eARC of this debut novel courtesy of the author through NetGalley.
Healing through nature, finding a voice in art, the power of connection.... And just enough strangeness to keep me guessing. I'm still thinking about the end.
I received an eARC of this debut novel courtesy of the author through NetGalley.
February 1, 2019
The Bobcat is a pretty special debut from author Katherine Forbes Riley. The Netgalley synopsis describes the novel as "haunting and lyrical", and I'd say that's pretty spot on. We follow Laurelie, a college student and art major who has just transferred to a new college after being sexually assaulted. Her new college is in rural Vermont, and she spends her time creating art and looking after the son of her landlord and landlady, a young boy called Rowan. One day when Laurelie and Rowan are in the woods they spot the bobcat of the title, and meet a young male hiker who has been tracking the pregnant bobcat. What follows is Laurelie's journey to recovery - through her relationship with the hiker and his family and her own art.
My only criticism of the novel is that it felt too short -it would've been great to spend more time with Laurelie and experience more of Forbes Riley's writing. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this one.
Thank you Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
My only criticism of the novel is that it felt too short -it would've been great to spend more time with Laurelie and experience more of Forbes Riley's writing. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this one.
Thank you Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2019
Another book so gorgeously written that I don't even know how to sum up my thoughts.. Forbes Riley's language is so lush, descriptive and magical. She makes nature come alive, and captures the emotions felt by Laurelie, our main character, perfectly.
I originally requested this book because I was curious about a book that focused on a college student, especially one who is an art student and a survivor of sexual assault. I so rarely read narratives about college students, and as a recently graduated art student, I gravitated towards this book. I admired how Forbes Riley described Laurelie's artwork, and clearly put a lot of thought into what it meant, and what artistic references were made. Her beautiful language only made it easier to envision Laurelie's thought process, and the work she created.
Laurelie herself is expertly rendered. While this book is quite short, it definitely benefits from a longer reading process as we bear witness to an intense period of growth and learning in Laurelie's life. I absolutely loved seeing the small moments of change in Laurelie—how she might interact with men in her life, or when she enters a public space. And of course, her acceptance and friendship with the hiker, who she meets one afternoon in the woods, and 'his' bobcat was beautiful to read about. The two of them fit together so perfectly, in an unexpected manner.
This novel was just a great reading experience, and the story contains so many beautiful moments. And while the language and character studies are beautiful, there is also an interesting plot that begins to develop as the book goes on, leaving us with a very satisfying ending (in my opinion). Forbes Riley addresses so much in this small book—from relationships and fear to the environment, and acceptance—and I am in awe of her talent. I just loved this book so much, and I am super excited to see what she will write in the future.
Also, congratulations to this book for being on the long list for the 2019 First Novel Prize from the Center for Fiction! I'm rooting for this book~
Thank you to Edelweiss and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me a digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I originally requested this book because I was curious about a book that focused on a college student, especially one who is an art student and a survivor of sexual assault. I so rarely read narratives about college students, and as a recently graduated art student, I gravitated towards this book. I admired how Forbes Riley described Laurelie's artwork, and clearly put a lot of thought into what it meant, and what artistic references were made. Her beautiful language only made it easier to envision Laurelie's thought process, and the work she created.
Laurelie herself is expertly rendered. While this book is quite short, it definitely benefits from a longer reading process as we bear witness to an intense period of growth and learning in Laurelie's life. I absolutely loved seeing the small moments of change in Laurelie—how she might interact with men in her life, or when she enters a public space. And of course, her acceptance and friendship with the hiker, who she meets one afternoon in the woods, and 'his' bobcat was beautiful to read about. The two of them fit together so perfectly, in an unexpected manner.
This novel was just a great reading experience, and the story contains so many beautiful moments. And while the language and character studies are beautiful, there is also an interesting plot that begins to develop as the book goes on, leaving us with a very satisfying ending (in my opinion). Forbes Riley addresses so much in this small book—from relationships and fear to the environment, and acceptance—and I am in awe of her talent. I just loved this book so much, and I am super excited to see what she will write in the future.
Also, congratulations to this book for being on the long list for the 2019 First Novel Prize from the Center for Fiction! I'm rooting for this book~
Thank you to Edelweiss and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me a digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2019
Strange, beguiling, and really rather beautiful.
July 5, 2019
"The Bobcat" is the story of Laurelie, a young woman, who upends her entire life after suffering a sexual assault. She just wants to feel safe again and leave everything behind. She runs to a small Vermont town where she hopes to be fully ensconced in classes. When she takes on a job watching the son of a school official, it will change the course of her life.
I really enjoyed this story! The characters are great. Laurelie starts out not wanting to put herself out there. She is content to live in the small, isolated cabin that she is renting. She throws herself into work and the care of her young charge. I really felt for her reading what she had to go through. The way that the author writes her plight and her feelings and flashbacks really got to me. The secondary characters are great as well like the hiker who shakes Laurelie's life up when he enters. The chemistry between them is oh-so-good and really great to read. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship unfold.
While I loved the story, I really enjoyed the writing of the book. Riley definitely has a unique way of writing and it really carried the story. One thing that I noticed is that at first the author really does not use any other characters' names in the book. It was a really interesting choice and by my own interpretation, it felt like it signified Laurelie not wanting to interact with the world. It is easier for her to refer to others as the child or the bobcat or the hiker. Giving things or people names feels much more personal and she is not ready for that when the book opens as she is struggling with her own memories. The writing is also really lovely in many places throughout the book such as when the author is describing the woods that surround Laurelie.
This was a great book and I really am looking forward to seeing what else the author writes!
I really enjoyed this story! The characters are great. Laurelie starts out not wanting to put herself out there. She is content to live in the small, isolated cabin that she is renting. She throws herself into work and the care of her young charge. I really felt for her reading what she had to go through. The way that the author writes her plight and her feelings and flashbacks really got to me. The secondary characters are great as well like the hiker who shakes Laurelie's life up when he enters. The chemistry between them is oh-so-good and really great to read. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship unfold.
While I loved the story, I really enjoyed the writing of the book. Riley definitely has a unique way of writing and it really carried the story. One thing that I noticed is that at first the author really does not use any other characters' names in the book. It was a really interesting choice and by my own interpretation, it felt like it signified Laurelie not wanting to interact with the world. It is easier for her to refer to others as the child or the bobcat or the hiker. Giving things or people names feels much more personal and she is not ready for that when the book opens as she is struggling with her own memories. The writing is also really lovely in many places throughout the book such as when the author is describing the woods that surround Laurelie.
This was a great book and I really am looking forward to seeing what else the author writes!
January 23, 2020
This book is probably one of the oddest books I’ve ever read. I was captivated by the title, the synopsis, and the writing in the opening paragraph. What I was not expecting, however, was for the bobcat to play such a minor role in the story, nor did I expect such a myriad of phrases describing the nose, nostrils, and breathing pattern of one of the main characters. Never before have I known nostrils to flare quite so much, let along “dance ecstatically” or “flutter like sheets in the wind.” Overall, even though the writing was sometimes lyrical, the odd plot line and the fixation on nostrils left me bewildered and sometimes giggling at the absurdity. When a nose or nostrils are mentioned 4 times on one page, each time engaged in a different activity, I’m left scratching my head in bewilderment. I for one have never paid so much attention to noses. And the attempt at humor when the main character smashes a bug that lands on her and the other main character says that he sees a proboscis, just falls flat, like the book itself.
May 29, 2019
I love gorgeous prose and magic realism, and the two combined together make for an amazing reading experience!
June 23, 2019
Atmospheric, unusual, and lovely. It was like... slowly becoming human again.
The Name of the Wind reference caught me off guard, and I loved it.
The Name of the Wind reference caught me off guard, and I loved it.
June 18, 2019
Well, that ending was a bit of a disappointment. Hmm. I was all set to give this book a solid five stars, but the mish-mash of an ending unraveled that notion. It felt like the author hastily gathered up her long skirts and ran away from the conclusion after a soft climax. The rest of the story was brilliant, but it closed so weakly I almost want to give it 3.5 stars on the blog, but I won't. It was deliciously atmospheric, and the writing was beautiful... it read like velvet. The author also has wonderful insight into the complexities of human nature. All in all, still a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking story, with memorable characters and a fresh premise.
I was approved for an eARC, via Edelweiss, in return for an honest review.
I was approved for an eARC, via Edelweiss, in return for an honest review.
February 18, 2019
What a beautiful, thoughtful, touching debut. Part love letter to nature, part artist exploration, part love story set in a bygone era when life was simpler... the Bobcat had me at turns flipping pages to find out what happens, and re-reading pages to soak in the expansive and lovely prose. Katherine Forbes Riley steps onto the scene like a master storyteller, comfortable in her craft and precise in her presentation. This hauntingly lovely book will be a favorite of book clubs, and people in search of a novel with genuine heart and wonder.
May 11, 2021
The Bobcat by Katherine Forbes Riley is a novel unlike any other that I have read so far.
I really loved the premise of the book as it tells the story of Laurelie who has become a recluse from the outside world after confronting sexual assault. Her only solace is her art which she practices in isolation.
A chance encounter with a hiker and a bobcat changes her world as she steps out of her comfort zone and begins experiencing feelings of fulfillment. And just when she moves toward recovery, a terrible incident throws her life into chaos again.
The intricacies of the human nature are well explored in this tale where the emotional connection between two individuals along with their strengths and weaknesses are portrayed.
The book treads toward the unfamiliar as it has very little dialogues but still conveys the emotions in such a beautiful manner. I was particularly drawn toward the writing as it is quite poetic unlike other novels; something which I could relate to being a poet myself. The character and scene descriptions are vividly painted.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable book to read and I look forward to more work from the author.
I really loved the premise of the book as it tells the story of Laurelie who has become a recluse from the outside world after confronting sexual assault. Her only solace is her art which she practices in isolation.
A chance encounter with a hiker and a bobcat changes her world as she steps out of her comfort zone and begins experiencing feelings of fulfillment. And just when she moves toward recovery, a terrible incident throws her life into chaos again.
The intricacies of the human nature are well explored in this tale where the emotional connection between two individuals along with their strengths and weaknesses are portrayed.
The book treads toward the unfamiliar as it has very little dialogues but still conveys the emotions in such a beautiful manner. I was particularly drawn toward the writing as it is quite poetic unlike other novels; something which I could relate to being a poet myself. The character and scene descriptions are vividly painted.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable book to read and I look forward to more work from the author.
April 4, 2019
The novel is richly observed, the depth and detail of its description a particular strength. It has been described as ‘immersive’ and I’ll tell you why: you will lose yourself in this book. The words and sentences are enough to keep you turning the pages, even if the story were less than the fascinating tale that it is. The main character has been raped. The arc of the novel tracks the ways she comes back to her body after this trauma, and especially in the beginning the prose effects a kind of distancing; as the book goes on the reader is gradually allowed closer to the personal aspects of Laurelie’s internal life. The Bobcat of the title first appears in the same scene as the Hiker, who experiences physical sensations that might be described as cat-like; he is super-sensitive, to sounds, tastes, smells, physical sensations, and to Laurelie. Disaster strikes more than once in this evenly-paced and entirely absorbing novel, leaving the reader gasping to know the outcome. The ending is perfect.
December 21, 2019
This is a beautiful, meditative novel about one woman's fight to return to the world and herself after an assault makes her wary of everyone except the young boy she babysits. The writing is absolutely exquisite: intricate scene upon intricate scene, layered like leaves falling on a forest floor. If you're looking for a novel to savor, a novel that will make you notice the quality of light through the trees, or the sound of birdsong in the morning, this is a perfect choice. This could've easily been a five star read for me, and to be honest I can't pinpoint exactly why it fell just a hair short of hitting that mark. Some vague sense that there was more story to be explored, perhaps, or just a sense that something was slightly off balance. Who knows, maybe I'm just jealous that a book this atmospheric and dreamlike is a debut novel! Regardless, this delicately told story was a pleasure to read.
February 15, 2021
A beautiful story of trauma and heeling, told through vivid art, nature & what seems at many times to be a waking dream. Short but lovely to read, I think if it had been longer it would have ruined the story because it begs to be read at a slower pace to take in all the details. A perfect balance on all counts.
Brilliant debut!
Brilliant debut!
September 4, 2019
The Bobcat is an elegantly written story of recovery. When Laurelie is assaulted on her university campus, she escapes to the woods of New England to heal and finish her studies and refine her skills as an artist at a smaller, local college. While exploring a forested stream with a toddler she babysits, she meets the hiker, a mysterious and capable, severely socially anxious young man who has been tracking and helping a wounded pregnant bobcat for hundreds of miles. Their bond grows, and as she gains confidence through her relationship, she slowly heals from trauma. But new conflicts arise as the hiker wants to bring her deeper into coupled solitude while she yearns for community.
Katherine Forbes Riley’s prose is as deeply sensorial as the hiker’s heightened abilities. The way Riley describes the smells, colors, and sounds of her landscapes and the details of the food being prepared in Laurelie’s rustic kitchen roots the reader into this novel. The Bobcat is a more slowly paced book than I tend to gravitate towards, but Riley’s arresting writing style is what made me really appreciate this slight novel.
(A copy of this book was generously provided to me from Skyhorse Publishing and Simon & Schuster through Goodreads Giveaways)
Katherine Forbes Riley’s prose is as deeply sensorial as the hiker’s heightened abilities. The way Riley describes the smells, colors, and sounds of her landscapes and the details of the food being prepared in Laurelie’s rustic kitchen roots the reader into this novel. The Bobcat is a more slowly paced book than I tend to gravitate towards, but Riley’s arresting writing style is what made me really appreciate this slight novel.
(A copy of this book was generously provided to me from Skyhorse Publishing and Simon & Schuster through Goodreads Giveaways)
April 22, 2019
This is one of those fable like books that got to me and made me think. Some lovely writing about a difficult subject -- a young woman traumatized by a sexual assault who doesn't identify or accuse her abuser, but internalizes her pain and becomes more and more reclusive. Her trauma is indicated by her identification of those around her as types, which she incorporates into her graphic art panels. A truly original approach to the me-too movement.
April 5, 2019
Really interesting look into the world of the KGB and the spy world
March 26, 2019
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'But she was still herself, though with a torn apart feeling now, that of once again breathing alone.'
Laurelie is still reeling after being sexually assaulted, haunted even by the images of the of crowded Philadelphia, the menace she senses everywhere. University in the city is no longer tolerable, though she tried to navigate her old life, new habits took over, fear of seeing her attacker. The trauma is ingrained in her very skin, and she can’t seem to overcome her fear of human interaction. She decides to transfer to Vermont where she can work on her panels and become a sort of ‘cave animal’ herself. Surrounded by nature, working as a sort of nanny to a two and a half-year old boy, son of her landlord and landlady, she spends most of her time outdoors, letting the beauty of her surroundings and her charge’s wonderment feed her artistic belly. Their interactions are more visceral, as she sees him as a half possessed being, still not fully formed with opinions and thoughts it’s much easier to be in his unthreatening presence, but then she sees HIM. A hiker and a wounded wild bobcat, stranger is that the animal seems to be cuddling up to the man!
Curious about the hiker and his bond with the wounded animal she finds herself reaching out to him, offering to let him wash his laundry, which sounds simple to most of us, but for someone suffering a form of PTSD it’s like a leap off a cliff. Her cats seem to like him, you know what they say about animals being the best judge of character…
As the little boy grows and begins to ‘seek order in things’ Laurelie tries to see the world through his point of view. There is such beauty in the simplicity of childlike observations, and it’s well written in the relationship between them, their jaunts in the woods, his words just beginning to emerge. Curious about the hiker and his bond with the wounded animal she finds herself reaching out to him, offering to let him wash his laundry at her place, which sounds simple to most of us, but for someone suffering a form of PTSD it’s like a leap off a cliff. Her cats seem to like him, you know what they say about animals being the best judge of character…
There is a stillness in him, his approach is cautious, gentle as he senses the fear living inside of her. It isn’t long before she is seeing the land through his eyes too, how he understands the environment down the very ‘root systems’ of plants. He has peculiar ways, senses things on a much higher level than others. Senses that are highly attuned, much like an animal’s. He is stirring more than her desire, her art is flourishing, working on her panels to sort through the chaos that is still lingering from Philadelphia and all that took place there, too she begins to feel she is always ‘waiting for him’. If she retreated from the world, he is drawing her out, as much as her art is a means to siphon the poison from her soul. Then Rowan, the boy, disappears off the trails and the bobcat’s existence comes into question.
The novel speaks more in the moments between people and nature than actual conversations, which can lose some readers. I think the writing is beautiful, and I understand why there isn’t meant to be a lot of dialogue, but there were times I longed for it. This is a quietly restless novel, you absolutely feel the anguish of her rape without anyone needing to shout. Sometimes retreat is louder, and staggeringly heartbreaking. The art as healing as release and the surroundings as a balm, all of it feels true. I enjoyed The Bobcat, was saddened, hopeful and always engaged. A unique debut.
Publication Date: June 5, 2019
Skyhorse Publishing
'Arcade Publishing
'But she was still herself, though with a torn apart feeling now, that of once again breathing alone.'
Laurelie is still reeling after being sexually assaulted, haunted even by the images of the of crowded Philadelphia, the menace she senses everywhere. University in the city is no longer tolerable, though she tried to navigate her old life, new habits took over, fear of seeing her attacker. The trauma is ingrained in her very skin, and she can’t seem to overcome her fear of human interaction. She decides to transfer to Vermont where she can work on her panels and become a sort of ‘cave animal’ herself. Surrounded by nature, working as a sort of nanny to a two and a half-year old boy, son of her landlord and landlady, she spends most of her time outdoors, letting the beauty of her surroundings and her charge’s wonderment feed her artistic belly. Their interactions are more visceral, as she sees him as a half possessed being, still not fully formed with opinions and thoughts it’s much easier to be in his unthreatening presence, but then she sees HIM. A hiker and a wounded wild bobcat, stranger is that the animal seems to be cuddling up to the man!
Curious about the hiker and his bond with the wounded animal she finds herself reaching out to him, offering to let him wash his laundry, which sounds simple to most of us, but for someone suffering a form of PTSD it’s like a leap off a cliff. Her cats seem to like him, you know what they say about animals being the best judge of character…
As the little boy grows and begins to ‘seek order in things’ Laurelie tries to see the world through his point of view. There is such beauty in the simplicity of childlike observations, and it’s well written in the relationship between them, their jaunts in the woods, his words just beginning to emerge. Curious about the hiker and his bond with the wounded animal she finds herself reaching out to him, offering to let him wash his laundry at her place, which sounds simple to most of us, but for someone suffering a form of PTSD it’s like a leap off a cliff. Her cats seem to like him, you know what they say about animals being the best judge of character…
There is a stillness in him, his approach is cautious, gentle as he senses the fear living inside of her. It isn’t long before she is seeing the land through his eyes too, how he understands the environment down the very ‘root systems’ of plants. He has peculiar ways, senses things on a much higher level than others. Senses that are highly attuned, much like an animal’s. He is stirring more than her desire, her art is flourishing, working on her panels to sort through the chaos that is still lingering from Philadelphia and all that took place there, too she begins to feel she is always ‘waiting for him’. If she retreated from the world, he is drawing her out, as much as her art is a means to siphon the poison from her soul. Then Rowan, the boy, disappears off the trails and the bobcat’s existence comes into question.
The novel speaks more in the moments between people and nature than actual conversations, which can lose some readers. I think the writing is beautiful, and I understand why there isn’t meant to be a lot of dialogue, but there were times I longed for it. This is a quietly restless novel, you absolutely feel the anguish of her rape without anyone needing to shout. Sometimes retreat is louder, and staggeringly heartbreaking. The art as healing as release and the surroundings as a balm, all of it feels true. I enjoyed The Bobcat, was saddened, hopeful and always engaged. A unique debut.
Publication Date: June 5, 2019
Skyhorse Publishing
'Arcade Publishing
March 15, 2019
The Bobcat
by Katherine Forbes Riley
due 6-15-2019
Arcade / Skyhorse
5 / 5
Fantastic and inspiring, this gave me all the feels-happiness, sadness, love, hope, humor and imagination. Written in an engaging and relatable way, I was instantly drawn into the life of Lauelie, and artist / student at Montague in Vermont. Laurelie rents a small cottage behind the home of a young couple and in exchange for some of the rent, she also watches their 2 year old son, Rowan. They enjoy following the trail behind the cottage through the forest to a river.
One day while sitting on the riverbank, Laurelie and Rowan see a bobcat limping from the forest to the water. She is pregnant and obviously hurt. They are not sure how to react, when a hiker comes out of the trees, following the bobcat. He tells them he has been following the bobcat from Bangor, Maine-about 300 miles away- after seeing it being shot by hunters. The hiker, Laurelie and Rowan begin meeting and form a friendship, that enriches them all, convincing them to reach beyond their pasts and learn to trust again.
The action, flow and suspense are absolutely perfect. The relationships between the characters is inspiring and delightful. The interaction with the bobcat- and the character of Rowan is heartwarming.This is an endearing story that I just can not forget. Highly recommended
Thanks to Arcade/ Skyhorse for this e-book ARC for a fair and honest review.
#netgalley #TheBobcat
by Katherine Forbes Riley
due 6-15-2019
Arcade / Skyhorse
5 / 5
Fantastic and inspiring, this gave me all the feels-happiness, sadness, love, hope, humor and imagination. Written in an engaging and relatable way, I was instantly drawn into the life of Lauelie, and artist / student at Montague in Vermont. Laurelie rents a small cottage behind the home of a young couple and in exchange for some of the rent, she also watches their 2 year old son, Rowan. They enjoy following the trail behind the cottage through the forest to a river.
One day while sitting on the riverbank, Laurelie and Rowan see a bobcat limping from the forest to the water. She is pregnant and obviously hurt. They are not sure how to react, when a hiker comes out of the trees, following the bobcat. He tells them he has been following the bobcat from Bangor, Maine-about 300 miles away- after seeing it being shot by hunters. The hiker, Laurelie and Rowan begin meeting and form a friendship, that enriches them all, convincing them to reach beyond their pasts and learn to trust again.
The action, flow and suspense are absolutely perfect. The relationships between the characters is inspiring and delightful. The interaction with the bobcat- and the character of Rowan is heartwarming.This is an endearing story that I just can not forget. Highly recommended
Thanks to Arcade/ Skyhorse for this e-book ARC for a fair and honest review.
#netgalley #TheBobcat
May 28, 2019
This review is based on an ARC of The Bobcat which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publishers (Skyhorse Publishing and Arcade Publishing).
Even mouthbreathers deserve love. <3
This debut novel from Katherine Forbes Riley is a gorgeous story of healing and loving in times of vulnerability and self-doubt. Laurelie, the main character, is such a strong character that I'm convinced she's real. In fact, I think that all of the characters of The Bobcat are more reality than fiction. I was in love with the setting, the characters, the prose, and the plot. I love all of the little detail that make this novel so believable and the characters so personable. I love the tenderness, the realness. Most of all I loved how the story left such a strong impression on me without being dramatic and soap-y.
I will admit that I didn't understand the hiker's oddities through the majority of this novel. But I also have to say that this made the plot more intriguing; it made me want to read on and know more and more. Even when I wasn't reading I was thinking about the story and wondering when I could get back to reading it.
It's been a long while since I've read a book with such strong, deliberate prose. I haven't lately read any new authors who write as well as Riley does. I can't really put words to what it is that I so adored with this novel's style, but something had me hooked and desperate for the climax.
Overall The Bobcat is a perfect little spring read, and I definitely look forward to seeing what else Katherine Forbes Riley has in store for the literary world!
Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge: a book set on a college or university campus
50 Books/50 States: Vermont
Even mouthbreathers deserve love. <3
This debut novel from Katherine Forbes Riley is a gorgeous story of healing and loving in times of vulnerability and self-doubt. Laurelie, the main character, is such a strong character that I'm convinced she's real. In fact, I think that all of the characters of The Bobcat are more reality than fiction. I was in love with the setting, the characters, the prose, and the plot. I love all of the little detail that make this novel so believable and the characters so personable. I love the tenderness, the realness. Most of all I loved how the story left such a strong impression on me without being dramatic and soap-y.
I will admit that I didn't understand the hiker's oddities through the majority of this novel. But I also have to say that this made the plot more intriguing; it made me want to read on and know more and more. Even when I wasn't reading I was thinking about the story and wondering when I could get back to reading it.
It's been a long while since I've read a book with such strong, deliberate prose. I haven't lately read any new authors who write as well as Riley does. I can't really put words to what it is that I so adored with this novel's style, but something had me hooked and desperate for the climax.
Overall The Bobcat is a perfect little spring read, and I definitely look forward to seeing what else Katherine Forbes Riley has in store for the literary world!
Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge: a book set on a college or university campus
50 Books/50 States: Vermont
May 24, 2021
Katherine Forbes Riley sets down a beautiful depiction of human connection in the emotionally moving The Bobcat! Having survived a sexual assault, Laurelie has mostly retreated within herself, but soon discovers connection again through a child, a wounded bobcat, and a mysterious hiker. Riley’s writing is beautiful and poetic and wonderfully brings to life Laurelie’s struggle and growth as a character! This is an emotional read, full of unexpected twists that really stuck with me. If you love heartfelt, deep novels with satisfying character journeys, definitely come hiking with The Bobcat!
May 25, 2020
Really different but loved the book
November 9, 2020
Explaining this book is far too difficult. I want to agree with other reviewers that you should not mistake this book as a "short read" just because it's 200 pages. The visceral feeling of this book makes it impossible to skim or rush through. Quiet moments spoken in simple sentences shook me to my core and made me want to sob out loud. I have never read anything like this before, and I surely don't think I ever will again. It was not a comfortable nor pleasurable read, but one so raw and necessary. The way sexual assault recovery is detailed through the style of writing was so intensely accurate. I don't want to call it "beautiful" when such a journey is so heartbreaking, sticky, and intense. But there were great moments of pure beauty as we follow the story and we see moments of breakthrough. I highly recommend for readers who enjoy uncomfortably immersive stories.
May 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this. Hoping to see more from such a beautiful writer.
November 9, 2019
Love love love love this book! I've never read a book like this and it was such a great read 🥰❤️
January 15, 2021
Beautiful, perfect. With wonderful, lyrical prose, but little dialogue, Riley recounts a young woman's slow but steady recovery from a sexual assault, as she immerses herself in nature, art, and small routines. A bobcat and a mysterious hiker play a role in Laurelie's re-emergence into the wider world. Some writers are all about plot, others place more importance on prose. Katherine Forbes Riley manages to do both perfectly. The tone and atmosphere she creates through language fits the story like a glove. You must read The Bobcat.
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