DINOSAURS

Dinosaurs is a deceptively simple, quiet gem of a novel that is bursting with humanity and heart. The story’s hero is shy, soft-spoken Gil, who recently relocated from New York to Phoenix - on foot! - to reset after a bad breakup. Independently wealthy with no need to work, Gil uses his abundant spare time as an opportunity to make the world better through volunteer work or small kindnesses. When his life becomes entrenched with the family next door, he must re-learn how to have meaningful human connection, and find a path to healing himself.
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I have an enduring soft spot for quirky characters who may not have the whole social interaction thing down, but have a straight-arrow moral compass and a huge heart. Gil won me over right away with his square peg ethics always trying to fit into a messy round hole of a world. Lydia Millet captures Gil’s awkwardness and naiveté with tenderness and affection, never turning him into a caricature. I rooted hard for Gil as he navigated the imperfect people around him, identifying who may disappoint him and who will offer hope (sometimes in the same person). The subtle backdrop to this unusual book is impending climate disaster, as seen through the evolution of dinosaurs and ultimately, we are meant to surmise, ourselves.
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When Gil meets the family next door, they bring him a peach pie, in a moment of clumsy conversation that is authentically strange, sweetly funny and a tiny bit sad, all at once - just like this book. I’ve baked some too, and can’t help admiring how beautiful peaches look with this abstract and lovely cover. It’s not quite peach season yet, but that’s nothing a whole lot of butter and sugar can’t fix!