It's a book that starts with a boy who watches his mom leave the family and go out into the woods with another man. Well, not a man exactly - but, a clothes-wearing Sasquatch who goes by the name of Mr. Krantz.
What's not to love?
I've nearly bought this book about 100 times over the years. The author is from Spokane and people who read this book absolutely love it. But, for some reason, I've always put it back. I made a library run right before the libraries were closed due to the coronavirus and this one was on the shelf, practically begging. Turns out, the author researched and wrote much of the book in that very library branch. It felt like fate.
So, back to Mr. Krantz...
After the boy watches his mom leave with this hairy monster, his life becomes a Sasquatch obsession. While initially beginning a respectable career as a podiatrist, he can't seem to let it go. So, he turns his obsession into his life's work, tracking the beast through the woods of the Pacific Northwest. The book tells his life from that childhood encounter all the way to his death. Along the way, it's a book about family, too, and how this obsession with myth touches generations.
The characters in the book are irresistible. I found myself casting the movie in my head.
If you live in Spokane or the Pacific NW, you'll love this book even more. Much of it takes place in what is referred to as Lilac City, but is definitely Spokane and, specifically, the South Hill where I live. Oh, and at one point, someone hits a unicorn on the road behind my new house.
This book is quirky and weird and sweet and totally worth a read. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at the idea of a woman building a life with Sasquatch in the woods, then you probably shouldn't have picked it up in the first place.
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