What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I can only remember one scene in the book. A woman describes a painting in her room as a child, where an otter was swimming in front of a boat full of animals. At the time it had haunted her because she thought the other animals were cruelly using the otter to pull them by its little tail. But one day she realized the boat had a sail, and the otter was just swimming along.
Thanks for your help!

How long ago did you read this Emily? Do you remember if it was Adult, YA, children' picture, or children's chapter?

This sounds really, really familiar. Has this been searched for before? If not, I think I've read it within the last year or two.

I'm remembering this being just maybe half a page of a novel -- I think it's adult but it might be YA. Two people are talking about ... something, and this story comes up. It's a very minor scene.

Emily, I'm not seeing anything that jumps out at me when I compare our bookshelves, but it does look like we have somewhat similar tastes so it seems reasonable we've read the same book. If no one else can think of anything and you have some time, you could browse through my "read" shelf and see if anything jogs a memory.

Melanti wrote: "This sounds really, really familiar.

I'm remembering this being just maybe half a page of a novel"

Yes, very familiar, and I'd second that it's only an incidental scene in what I think was an adult book. Something in me wants to say Rose Madder by Stephen King, but that doesn't feel quite right...

If we're remembering the same book, it can't be Rose Madder. I'm not a big King fan, and have only read The Shining and Gunslinger.

I believe this was something Fenchurch said in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.

Yup. Fenchurch.

Ah, that's the scene I was remembering. Could have sworn I'd read it more recently than that (I haven't read that trilogy in at least ten years!), but I do browse quotes from time to time so that's probably why I thought that.

Hopefully this is the scene Emily is thinking of too.

That was it! Thank you so much, everyone!

Congrats on finding your book Emily. I've shelved it and moved this down to Solved for you.