Review:
Set during the era of Prohibition, Baby begins as the story of a young woman, Netty, married off to a much older, brutal, self-serving man. When Netty runs away from her abusive spouse, she discovers a strange creature, injured and alone, and nurses it back to health under the assumption that it’s a hitherto unknown animal. Thus begins an interspecies love-story different from the usual run of such tales. The physical differences between species is elided by Netty’s physical changes, and the very land on which they live is transformed by their connection. When Wil, a handsome stranger, enters their lives, he is included rather than excluded.
If the book ended there, it would be a story of connection and completion. But Netty’s past catches up with her in the form of her spouse, and his actions set off a chain of events that lead to death and destruction.
In compelling (and sometimes interestingly, if unusually, phrased prose), J.K. Accinni offers a story that draws upon the interconnectedness of lives (human and other) and highlights the ways in which those connections can be used for good or ill. This is not necessarily a comfortable book, but it is imaginative and interesting, designed to push at the boundaries of science fiction.
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About the Author
J.K. Accinni was born and raised in Sussex County before moving to Randolph, New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, five dogs and eight rabbits, all rescued. Mrs. Accinni’s passion for wildlife conservation has led her all over the world, including three trips to Africa, where ten years ago she and her husband fell in love with a baby elephant named Wendi, that had been rescued by a wildlife group. That baby is the inspiration for the character Tobi, the elephant featured in her fourth book titled Hive.
The character of Caesar is inspired by a real life iconic tiger from Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota.
Mrs. Accinni also invites you to visit her blog at http://www.speciesintervention.com. Readers are encouraged to comment about the book or your own creature experiences.
