Review: Pebble and Dove

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.

Here’s the book’s description:

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.

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.*