A Home for Goddesses and Dogs

By Leslie Connor

A girl, a mysterious dog, and secrets collide on a Connecticut farm.

3.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,267 ratings

385 pages· 75,729 words· Est. 8.5 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

Thirteen-year-old Lydia moves to a quirky Connecticut farm after her mother's death. Her new life is complicated by a troublesome dog with a mysterious past. As Lydia uncovers secrets, including her own, she must decide what she's willing to risk for belonging and truth. What lies behind the growing hole in her wall, and why is the box under her bed so crucial? Discover how Lydia's journey with the world's best bad dog leads to unexpected revelations and new beginnings.

"We'd managed to bring home the most troublesome leftover dog of the lot. Great job us."

— from the book

From the publisher

A unique masterpiece about loss, love, and the world’s best bad dog, from award-winning author Leslie Connor, author of the National Book Award finalist The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle.

It’s a life-altering New Year for thirteen-year-old Lydia when she uproots to a Connecticut farm to live with her aunt following her mother’s death.

Aunt Brat and her jovial wife, Eileen, and their ancient live-in landlord, Elloroy, are welcoming―and a little quirky. Lydia’s struggle for a sense of belonging in her new family is highlighted when the women adopt a big yellow dog just days after the girl’s arrival.

Wasn’t one rescue enough?

Lydia is not a dog person―and this one is trouble! He is mistrustful and slinky. He pees in the house, escapes into the woods, and barks at things unseen. His new owners begin to guess about his unknown past.

Meanwhile, Lydia doesn’t want to be difficult―and she does not mean to keep secrets―but there are things she’s not telling…

Like why the box of “paper stuff” she keeps under her bed is so important…

And why that hole in the wall behind a poster in her room is getting bigger…

And why something she took from the big yellow dog just might be the key to unraveling his mysterious past―but at what cost?

Award-winning author Leslie Connor crafts a story that sings about loss and love and finding joy in new friendships and a loving family, along with the world’s best bad dog. This uplifting story about recovery features strong female characters, an adorable dog, and the girl who comes to love him.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 385
Words: 75,729
Reading age: 10–14
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: ~619L

Themes & topics

Books about dogs Books about family Books about grief Books about family life Books about death, grief, and bereavement

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Language

This book has a couple of instances of profanity using "damn" and "God."

Presence of Death

Lydia's mother dies in the beginning of the story. There is an older gentleman nearing death who often comments about being "almost dead." Death is a theme throughout the story and talked about in a comfortable way with a sense of courage to cope with it.

LGBTQ

Lydia is taken to live with her Aunt Brat when her mother dies. Her aunt is married to Eileen, a woman. Their relationship progresses throughout the book with the rise of conflicts and resolutions. Lydia notes the feeling of wanting to see them embrace. During one such conflict Eileen sleeps on the couch and when they resolve the conflict she again shares Aunt Brat's room. There is one instance of thirteen year old girls talking about their love lives and gender identities. One character says, "And I think I want to kiss a girl just as much as I want to kiss a guy." (Sari, pg 272). The second character says, "And the mystifying part for me is that sometimes I *feel* like a guy myself." (Raya, pg.273).

What readers & critics say