Dispatch from the Field: Joe Says This Book Is "a beautiful meditation on what it means not only to be a family, but to choose to live a life outside of the accepted norm."

The daily rhythm of a veterinarian’s family in rural New England is shaken when a hunting accident leaves their eldest son in a coma. With the lives of his loved ones unhinged, the veterinarian struggles to maintain stability while searching for the man responsible. But in the midst of their great trial an unexpected visitor arrives, requesting a favor that will have profound consequences—testing a loving father’s patience, humor, and resolve and forcing husband and wife to come to terms with what “family” truly means. 

The Call is a gift from one of the most talented and extraordinary voices in contemporary fiction—a unique and heartfelt portrait of a family, poignant and rich in humor and imagination. 

Joe says:
"In Yannick Murphy's fantastic new novel, The Call, she explores what it means to be a family. When rural veterinarian, David's son Sam is shot by an unseen hunter on Sam's first hunting trip, life for this family changes. Sam falls into a coma, and the family's life is no longer so idyllic. On calls around their small town, David continually wonders if this is the man who shot my son. The constant hunt for his son's shooter becomes one of a few things members of this family are obsessed by. Later that year, an unexpected visitor shows up who further tests this man's definition of family.

Yannick Murphy's novel is not presented in a conventional manner.  Rather, the action is laid out in a series of cause and effect sequences.  This method of delivering the action of the novel I found not only compelling, but entirely unique. The characters really grow and change in believable ways, and I found David's gentle humor just right. If he were my town's vet, I'd call on him even when I didn't need him, just as many of his clients do. The ending of the book is stunning, beautiful and subtle; the perfect ending to a book that slowly builds into a beautiful meditation on what it means not only to be a family, but to chose to live a life outside of the accepted norm. Truly beautiful, and moving, this is a book not to be missed."