Pebble & Dove

by Amy Jones

In the tradition of Karen Russell's Swamplandia! , a once-famous but now-abandoned aquarium-in-a-ship in Florida is the captivating backdrop for a novel of family secrets and dysfunction, and the ways in which it can sometimes take an animal to remind us how to be human. This is the story of a family falling apart, only to be brought back together again by an unlikely champion--a 1,000-pound aquatic mammal named Pebble. Lauren's life is a mess. She has a storage unit full of candles she can't sell, a growing mountain of debt, and a teenage daughter, Dove, who barely speaks to her. Then her husband sends her a text that changes everything. Eager to escape her problems, she drives herself and Dove south to her late mother's rundown trailer in Florida. While keeping her eccentric new neighbours at Swaying Palms at bay, Lauren begins to untangle the truth about her estranged mother. How did world-famous portrait photographer Imogen Starr end up at Swaying Palms?And what happened to her fortune and her photographs? Meanwhile, Dove has secrets of her own. A mysterious photograph leads her to discover the abandoned Flamingo Key Aquarium and Tackle, where she meets Pebble, the world's oldest manatee in captivity. It is Pebble, a former star attraction, and her devoted caretaker, Ray, who will hold the key to helping Lauren and Dove come to terms with Imogen's unexpected legacy. Darkly funny and sharply observed, Pebble & Dove is a moving novel about the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, and learning how to choose between what's worth saving and what needs to be let go.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Parenting, Animals

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2023

About the author

AMY JONES won the 2006 CBC Literary Prize for Short Fiction and was a finalist for the 2005 Bronwen Wallace Award. She is a graduate of the Optional Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at UBC, and her fiction has appeared in Best Canadian Stories and The Journey Prize Stories. Her debut collection of stories, What Boys Like, was the winner of the 2008 Metcalf-Rooke Award and a finalist for the 2010 ReLit Award. Originally from Halifax, she now lives in Thunder Bay, where she is associate editor of The Walleye. The author lives in Thunder Bay, ON.

Reviews

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an attempt to escape her problems, Lauren drives herself and Dove, her teenage daughter, south to her late mother’s rundown trailer in Florida. Lauren and Dove are both keeping secrets from the other one but it's mostly a failure to communicate. Dove discovers the Flamingo Key Aquarium and Tackle, an abandoned aquarium in a ship, where she meets Pebble, the world’s oldest manatee in captivity, as well as Ray, Pebble's caretaker.

This is my second book in a row where one of the characters is named Ray!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a lovely story that tugged at my heartstrings at times even though it was a little frustrating because so many hurt feelings could've been avoided if Lauren and her daughter would just talk to each other. The story is told from the pov's of the major characters and it's very well written with mostly likeable/lovable characters, especially Pebble the Manatee. I'm not sure I've ever seen a manatee in person but I would love to, preferably not in captivity though. The ending was well done and the last chapter brought tears to my eyes.

Amy Jones is a Canadian author I was unfamiliar with but now I'll be on the lookout for her books.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway so my thanks to them and to the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada for the lovely paperback copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own. Published: May 30, 2023.

[Jodi]

DNF'd @ 9% - I can't do it! I tried—twice!—but it's obviously not for me. I'm surprised because I really liked her previous novel Every Little Piece of Me, but this book—Pebble & Dove—OMG!🙄 If only she'd started with the manatee!!! That might have saved it for me! Instead, it started with Dove and her mother, Lauren—both painfully stupid—and I couldn't read one more word from them.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving family story about two generations of mothers and daughters and their complicated relationships. Set in a Florida trailer park, Dove and her mother Lauren have arrived to claim an inheritance from recently deceased mother/grandmother, Imogen.

Dove and her mom aren't on the best terms and Lauren has been estranged from her mother for years as well, keeping her away from Dove. Lauren is also dealing with a recent separation from her husband and struggling to connect to Dove.

For her part, Dove finds connection with her vast number of online followers and through secret emails with her grandmother. When she finds an old photograph it leads her to a run down aquarium, Pebble, one of its beloved manatees and the caretaker, Ray (who has his own heartbreaking story of loss).

Told in alternating perspectives this was a great book about a family in crisis coming together for a common cause helping to save an endangered manatee from being euthanized. I loved the nostalgia this book evoked of winter breaks spent in Florida at my own grandparents' trailer park and visiting the beautiful local manatees there.

Great on audio with a lovely author's note and highly recommended especially for fans of books like The brilliant life of Eurdora Honeysett or Remarkably bright creatures. Many thanks to Libro.fm for my ALC!

[Haleigh Friesen (Campbell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. I feel like the teenage me really connected with Dove and I love a good story about an animal bringing people together because I truly love animals more than… basically anything else.

[Kaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Books Etc.

Pebble & Dove, the latest novel from Amy Jones is, in a word, delightful. It’s an emotional family drama but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Pebble, referenced in the title, is a manatee, after all. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book and was a little sad when I finished and had to say goodbye to all the characters I had come to know over the course of the novel.

The premise for this book is, quite frankly, ridiculous. There’s a once famous manatee that everyone (but Ray) has forgotten about. Imogen has died and no one is dealing with it well - if they even knew about it. There are secrets upon secrets that shouldn’t be secrets but no one in this family understands how to speak to each other and feelings have been hurt a hundred times over throughout the years. But it all works, which shows how talented Jones is. She can take a concept that is bananas and turn it into something that is funny, emotional, and heartwarming all at once.

Lauren caused a few problems for me. But in such a way that, when I really thought about it, I realized that, no, she’s not actually problematic. She’s deeply human. We just don’t often read about these kinds of characters. There’s nothing really wrong with her - she’s just trying to make the best out of the life she feels has been thrust upon her. She felt that her mother didn’t love her so she overcompensated in her own life - while still never having the important conversations she should have had with her mother or her daughter. It takes a lot to realize when you’re really not OK and I was really, really glad with how the book ended up for Lauren. Things are still broken but you can see the path out of it. Jones doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow (what kind of life is that?) but she leaves the reader with hope.

Dove was my favourite character in this story. I hurt when she hurt and I was so mad that her parents were so wrapped up in their own stuff that they couldn’t see what was going on with her. She’s 14 - she’s dealing with a lot and she’s no longer a kid but she’s not an adult either. She still needs more guidance and obvious love (even if she rolls her eyes at it) and she just wasn’t getting it - even though her parents truly do love her to pieces. She has such a huge heart and she’s a smart kid and I was left with the overwhelming feeling that she was going to do some amazing things in her life. I loved that feeling.

The story is told from multiple perspectives with some time lapses. Lauren and Dove are the main narrators and their present day stories move the plot along. Ray is telling his wife a story of his work at the aquarium and with Pebble. And there are a few chapters from Imogen’s perspective that help connect some of the dots Lauren and Dove are finding during their stay (escape) in Florida. It may sound confusing but Jones manages it wonderfully and each section plays an important role in the overall story.

Pebble & Dove is a beautiful and wonderful story that’s funny in all the right spots (and even some wrong ones but that’s what makes it right). I’m reminded every time I read one of Amy Jones’ novels (this is the third of hers I’ve read and I think it’s my favourite) how talented she is. You should definitely pick up a copy of Pebble & Dove as soon as you can!

*A finished copy of this novel was provided by Penguin Canada as part of their Penguin Reads program in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

[Kaija]

3.5

It's a good book. I didn't find anything super special about it, but there was nothing wrong with it.

Lauren runs away from life (her impending divorce), money problems, etc. with her daughter in tow. Dove has no idea why they're off to Florida in her nana's old trailer, but after bring kicked out of school for avenging a friend, she only cares a little bit. As Dove also runs aay from her problems, she escapes to a kind of aquarium and meets Peddle.

Told from multiple viewpoints, I didn't think the one from Ray was super interesting, but I know it was there to tug on heartstrings.

I appreciate that the author is Canadian.
.

[Marilyn Boyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ending of this novel did work, and I do enjoy Jones’ writing (and am a fan), but the plot and dialog of this novel left me with too many questions about the characters. I know they are damaged, interesting people, but not sure they were fleshed out enough, even though the book seemed a bit too long. I didn’t enjoy or understand the Rayna sections as well. I got why Jones put them in, but I wasn’t endeared to Rayna or any of the other characters particularly, except Ray, but there, too, I felt we were kept distanced from what made him tick until the end. Wasn’t enough for me.

[Celeste Cormier · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a reference to Frank Capra movies and that influence is very very clear in the climax of the novel. Good thing I love Frank Capra movies. And manatees. And the two separate people who saw this book and thought of me <3

[Grace]

DNF😬

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

it wasn't my type of book. it seemed really flat and seemed like it missed something. like i don't know why this had to be a book. It just doesn't seem like anyone would pick it up and not be able to put it down. the plot didn't exist. I was waiting for something to happen for me to be like "ohhh this is the point of the book" but it never happend.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Familial trauma can manifest in many different forms. We spend our entire lives for good or worse being influenced by our upbringing. We are a product of our parents not just biologically but metaphorically too. The repercussions of all the good and bad choices parents can make in their lives can take form and influence the relationships they have with their children. I'm no stranger to familial trauma myself and while I don't hold any resentments about my upbringing, it's important to be transparent on everything that contributed to making me who I am today, whether good or bad. These core concepts are the primary foundation of my latest read of 2024; Amy Jones' novel Pebble & Dove.

The narrative of this story follows a mother called Lauren and her daughter Dove. Together they take a trip to Florida to an elderly trailer park by the name of Swaying Palms. It's here that Lauren finds herself inheriting the trailer home of her recently deceased mother Imogen. Imogen and Lauren's relationship growing up was strained and distant in many ways and after so many years of never speaking to her mother, Lauren finds herself with so many questions about who her mother really was in her final days. As Lauren struggles to reflect on the relationship she no longer has with her mother; her own daughter Dove struggles to maintain the existing relationship she has with her. Dove is young, brash and defiant in so many ways that her mother isn't and it's their clear differences that puts the mother and daughter on all too familiar uneven ground. Dove's release from this troubled relationship comes in the form of Pebble, an 80-year-old manatee who grew up as an attraction of the nearby venue of Flamingo Key Aquarium and Tackle. As the story goes on, Pebble's relevancy to Dove, Lauren and Imogen comes to light in ways that will reflect the relationship between the three in some really touching ways.

I love how the story does a wonderful job in reflecting on the weight and complicated nature behind the relationships a parent and child can share during the course of their lives. Lauren's relationship with her mother Imogen is clearly portrayed as troubled and Amy Jones does a great job in breaking down on the characteristics of both the mother and daughter in a way that allows the reader to clearly see what defines the pair and the relationship they failed to maintain. It's wonderfully grounded because it doesn't choose to paint any one person in the story as a bad person. These are all genuine people with positive and negative elements which work to define their depth. The way Amy then uses this lost relationship as a means to define the relationship Lauren shares with her own daughter Dove and ponder on where their relationship may go due to their own current struggles is layered so smartly. What ties everyone of these characters together though in a wonderfully insightful manner is Pebble. This manatee allows for common ground to be shared with these struggling characters in a way that opens up aspects of their relationships they never would have considered.

While the narrative and its weight are some truly excellent stuff, I can't help but feel the book struggles from a descriptive and pacing end. Amy Jones loves to breakdown a scene in great detail but it often comes off as distractive, especially in the earlier parts of the novel. It all combines together to create a clear pacing issue for me that made getting through the story a bit harder than I would have appreciated. It's annoying when I love the narrative behind a book and want to dive deeper into its developments but often feel held up by unnecessarily slow pacing.

On the whole though, Pebble & Dove is a beautiful story that takes the concept of familial trauma and tries to break it down in a way that feels transparent and inspirational. I can't speak for myself, but I imagine there are a lot of parents and children out there who let their struggled upbringing split them apart and while it's a sad fact, it's important to reflect on that trauma and understand that you get to choose how much of that trauma you let define you further for good or bad. Especially when you are bringing up your own children, it's important to listen, reflect and focus on being better for it.

[Anne Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I stay mostly off social media these days, I dip into Twitter every now and then, which piqued my interest in the new release from Canadian author Amy Jones. Pebble & Dove is her latest novel, which is a lighthearted take on family politics and the bonds we draw and break within that sphere. I follow Amy on Twitter because she has a super cute dog, and her husband, Andrew (also as writer), has a horror novel coming later this summer that I also plan on reviewing. A few years ago I read one of Amy’s earlier novels, and lead a book club discussion on it as well. I interviewed her for an event too, and she’s a lovely, charming person, which explains why she writes such loveable characters. Although I have a terrible memory, I know I’ve always enjoyed her books, and this one is no different.

Plot Summary

Stay-at-home mother Lauren and her teenage daughter Dove take a spontaneous trip down to Florida, to the trailer that Lauren’s mother Imogen left her when she passed away. Unbeknownst to Lauren, Dove has just been expelled from school, but Lauren has problems of her own; her husband has just asked her, via text, for a divorce, plus she’s got a mountain of debt building that she’s hidden from the rest of her family. Dove is confused as to why she’s staying in Imogen’s old trailer because she isn’t actually aware that her grandmother died, but Lauren’s mother was basically estranged from her daughter and granddaughter anyway, so these questions fall to the wayside. Instead, Dove preoccupies herself with a nearby, rundown aquarium and the giant manatee named Pebble who has essentially been forgotten there. Cranky and quirky neighbors in the Swaying Palms trailer park keep the storyline light, while Lauren and Dove fret in their separate ways. Both have secrets they keep from one another while they each try to determine what Imogen’s secrets were, and what significance this forgotten manatee played/plays in their family.

My Thoughts

The characterization is what really shines in this novel; Dove’s oscillating emotions are understandable, and believable. Lauren is a frustrating individual, but her parenting efforts are laudable, and provide a steady source of humour. There are a few chapters written from the perspective of Imogen, who remains somewhat mysterious throughout the entire novel, but this is clearly done on purpose. The minor characters that enter in and out of their lives through the unique setting of the Floridian trailer park offer entertaining breaks from the messiness of the mother daughter relationships, and really help to ground the story. Although it’s not at all a glamorous place to be, I must admit to wishing I had a few days to spend at the Swaying Palms trailer park where everyone knew each other’s business but had enough sense to mind their own most of the time anyway.

Some of the humour also comes from the disconnect between generations; Imogen and Lauren, and Lauren and Dove. Throwing a teen perspective into any novel will always result in some laughs, simply because their language, thoughts and beliefs come across as so foreign to everyone else’s. One of my favourite examples of this is when Dove realizes where her mother spent the night:

“She must have known Cal from before, maybe when she came to Florida with Nana when she was a kid. They probably reconnected over Facebook, like sad old adults do when they’re bored with their lives, stirring up all those feelings from their past. She wondered how long her mother has been planning this. She wonders how long she has just been a pawn in her mother’s twisted game.”

-p. 168 of Pebble & Dove by Amy Jones, ARC edition
I’ll admit to finding some coincidences unbelievable, but there’s no harm in including these developments, I wasn’t in search of hardboiled realism here. I got what I came for in this book; a lighthearted look at some deeper issues that we can all relate to. And strangely enough, it also gave me a new appreciation for the manatee; a large mammal we rarely see or think much about, but one that holds much to be in awe of.

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[Lisa Goodmurphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story about complicated mother/daughter relationships, families falling apart and a lonely manatee set against the backdrop of a mobile home community and an abandoned aquarium in Florida.

Lauren's life is a mess - her marriage is falling apart, she has a storage locker full of candles she can't sell, her daughter seems to hate her and her estranged mother, famous photographer Imogen Starr, has recently died. A text from her husband pushes her past her breaking point so she tells Dove they're going on vacation and the two of them head south to her mother's rundown trailer at a mobile home community in Florida. While Lauren tries to find out what happened to her mother's fortune and her photographs, Dove, who has her own secrets that she's keeping from her mom, discovers a photo which leads her to a nearby aquarium where she meets Pebble, the oldest manatee in captivity and Pebble's devoted caretaker, Ray. The narrative shifts point of view between Ray, Lauren, Dove and Imogen.

I may have picked up this book solely because of the manatee but it turned out to be quite an enjoyable read - both funny and touching! It's also very relatable if you have ever had a teenage daughter or been a teenage daughter. Overall this is an uplifting story of family and forgiveness with an environmental message - and a beautiful manatee that brings everyone together.

[Maggie (Magsisreadingagain) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a beautiful look at complicated families, and how we work through the lumps and bumps that life throws at us. Lauren's got herself in deep. Her decision to sell candles hasn't panned out, and the bills are coming due. Her teen daughter, Dove, is sullen and surly. So when an unexpected bomb drops on her precarious psyche, Lauren does the most logical thing, and runs away to the rundown trailer park where her recently deceased mother has left her a trailer. Dove is confused and angry, and trying to hide her own secrets. When she finds some strange pictures taken by her famous photographer grandmother, she decides to chase the trail, bringing herself to the once-glamorous Flamingo Key Aquarium and Tackle. And to a manatee named Pebble, who will teach everyone some very valuable life lessons.

I loved this story. Jones has portrayed teenage angst and mid-life questioning with humor and empathy. She shines a light on the ever-shifting nature of female relationships and creates characters that you want to hug, right before you join them in the carport for a few margaritas. And through it all, Jones' obvious love for manatees and their precarious position comes through.

Many, many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me with a finished copy, in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend it! 4.5 stars

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of aquatic mammals, I was immediately drawn to the premise of a manatee as the connection point for all of the characters in this novel.

Pebble, the manatee, has long been forgotten, save for her caretaker, Ray. However, she becomes the thread that binds Imogen, Lauren, and Dove.

I thought that the flawed characters were portrayed in a realistic way, especially Lauren, a wife who was trying to find her own identity, and Dove, 14-year old girl who was angry, misunderstood, and trying to navigate adolescence.

Mother-daughter relationships can be complicated and dysfunctional, and this book is a beautiful depiction of an imperfect family.

The climax gets a bit sensational, which is the only part of the book that left me a bit wanting. The first 3/4 of the book unfolds at a lovely pace. It’s slow without being too slow, and the reader feels as though they are moving towards an ending where there is hope and healing. The flashy climax kicked me out of the story a bit, before it settled back into its final chapters.

I definitely recommend this story for readers who enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Thank you to @penguinrandomca for sending me a copy to read and review.

[Rosemarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF I got about a little over half way and I had to give up. This book is excruciatingly slow paced. There is somewhat of an inciting incident and then nothing happens for half the novel. Look, I like character focused novels as much as the next person, but for that to work your characters must be compelling. I didn't hate these characters, but there just wasn't enough meat there to grab on to. They were all horrible communicators, like half their problems would probably be solved if the mother and daughter would just sit down and have a frank discussion with each other. Plus, all the stuff with the manatee was horribly depressing, and I couldn't really figure out the point of it being in the narrative. If it was supposed to be heartwarming it seriously fell flat. I tried for almost two weeks to finish reading this, and I could feel it putting me into a reading slump, so I decided to quit. I ended up giving it two stars because the author is obviously skilled, she makes you care about these characters. If the pacing had been better and the story cut down a bit it probably would have been a better novel.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful, charming book that follows the lives of three generations of disfunctional women: Imogen Starr (a famous photographer and a terrible parent), her daughter Lauren, and Lauren's daughter Maya (better known as Dove). The relationship between these three ladies was as distant and awkward as it gets. So, when Imogen passes away and then Lauren's husband, Jason texts her to ask for a divorce, Lauren takes Dove out of school and they head off to Florida to Swaying Palms, where Imogen had lived and then died. The dynamic between Lauren and Dove is extremely toxic. They are both keeping dark secrets and holding deep resentments. In Florida, they end up staying in Imogen's falling down, rat infested trailer. Eventually, they discover the abandoned Flamingo Key Aquarium and a manatee named Pebble, who steals Dove's heart and paves the road towards finding out what the last months of Imogen's life had been all about.

[Jennifer Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast-reading, touching novel. The story of three women who are disconnected from each other, despite being grandmother and mother and daughter, the novel weaves between the three of them and one other major voice to unravel a story of pain, disconnection, grief, and wonder, with the story of a lonely manatee anchoring the story. At times, this one hit close to home and was difficult to read, but in the end, I'm so glad I did. Jones' writing is lovely, and the way she brought these women to life is as impressive as it is heartbreaking and worth journeying into. I'm not sure I'll read more of her work--this was more in the realm of women's fiction and general fiction than what I normally wander into--but I did truly enjoy it and her writing, much as it left me crying pained tears at a few points.

[Anna F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Jones's latest novel, Pebble & Dove is delightful read with a touch of humour! A story about a complicated mother and daughter relationship, a family sage and a manatee. It is told through a few of views and timelines. It takes place in a mobile home community in Florida and an abandoned aquarium. The characters are all protrayed in a realistic way. Lauren's character is shown in an honest point of view, and the book does a great job in depicting complicated family relationships. Dove is her daughter, a 14 year old girl trying to figure out life as an adolescent. I found Dove's grandmother interesting because she is a photographer and I enjoyed reading her thoughts about photography and the world. Amy is such a talented writer and this story was written beautifully. Such an entertaining read with humorous elements, I highly recommend it!

[Amy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took a little piece of my heart 🖤

Told from multiple points of view and time lapses. The story centers around Lauren, her daughter Dove, her mother Imogen and a Manatee named Pebble.
Lauren's life is currently a train wreck, she has growing debt, a dysfunctional relationship with her daughter and her mother and marriage issues.
Dove keeps many secrets of her own. She meets Pebble and her caretaker Ray. Pebble is really the star and connects them all in an unexpected way.
Mother daughter relationships are complicated and this book depicts it beautifully.
I really can't convey how beautiful it was.



#penguinreads

[Alison Gadsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love stories about complicated mothers and their subsequently complicated daughters, whose lives are ever more complicated because of secrets and that they can't talk to each other, then this book is for you. Lauren is the mother, Dove is the daughter and Pebble is the oldest manatee in captivity. There are other fun and interesting characters that help to pull you along in a story that is both heartbreaking and heart-mending, and actually very funny!

I will fill this review out when we get closer to having Amy Jonesat Junction Reads and I do a closer read.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I really loved “Pebble and Dove” by @amlaujo from @mcclellandstewart ! It kept my page turning and guessing about all the secrets everyone was keeping! Yet it is also a beautifully lyrical meditation on mothers and daughters and difficult relationships. It is at times deeply funny and others extremely sad. A very good read that grabbed me by my cold soul and granted some warmth and understanding into letting go of perfection and full circle moments. Also I didn’t know how much I was going to care about the manatee! This is the third novel I have read by Jones and my favourite yet!!

[Bejohnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I wasn't particularly looking forward to reading this book, because the title didn't catch me, I read it as Amy Jones will be a featured author soon at the local starfest event. I'm so glad I opened the book and started reading. The characters caught me within the first few pages and I couldn't put the book down. Alternately cursing the characters' actions and sympathizing with their plights, I was totally drawn in to the story.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

I feel like this book just didn't have a clear direction, which meant that it did a bunch of things kind of poorly. It wasn't quite an animal rescue/advocacy story, fell short of being a family drama, and didn't do much in terms of being a book about a teenager trying to navigate friendships and family. What was left was a muddled book full of characters I didn't particularly care about and a plot that just kind of dragged.

[Kim Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful exploration of love - between mothers and daughters, in marriage, and in friendship. A little bit heart-breaking. Told through the perspectives of Imogen, Lauren, Dove and Ray with a cast of supporting characters.

[Erin York Baxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and it's exploration of the extremely complicated nature of female relationships. Amy Jones is a wonderful writer - and so good at weaving complicated family narratives together in a whimsical way that doesn't shy away from people's flaws and difficult subjects.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Jones is the queen of details. She painted a picture of every setting, character and situation with just the right amount of description. The interwoven narrators were perfect, and I loved the quirky premise and the way each character grew in unexpected ways....even Pebble. Highly recommended.

[Jacynthe Bigras · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I recommend the book. I feel like the story between Lauren and Jason is unfinished. What were they going to talk about? The conversation was always postponed by Lauren. I learned a lot about the manatees and my favorite parts were Ray's chapters.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story but I found there was too many characters to try to follow and lacked the connection I was hoping for from the manatee and Dove. I thought Peddle would have a larger role given the title but she was the connector and the draw for the family.

Happy reading,
Lucinda

[G.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pebble & Dove hooked me from its opening sentence, and each of its quirky, oddball, and downright strange characters, both unique and familiar, is an individual you might meet in most towns.

The characters drive this story, and make it memorable and rereadable.