Perestroika In Paris: A Novel

"Horses have trotted through the pages of plenty of Jane Smiley’s novels, but this is the first time one has actually talked. Perestroika in Paris, a delightfully whimsical tale about creatures living in Paris’ Champs de Mars, is a balm for harsh times. Drawn by curiosity, Smiley’s titular racehorse wanders from her stall and connects with an elegant German shorthaired pointer, a pontificating raven, a squabbling pair of mallards and a rat pining for a mate. They overcome their prejudices to band together to help each other and, eventually, a lonely, orphaned 8-year-old boy. This warmhearted fable, with plenty of pathos but no villains, extols the advantages of domesticity, the joys of freedom and exploration, and the power of friendship."