by Rutherford George Montgomery
First published 1949
Jerome Kildee thought he had it all figured out. He built his small house right up against a massive redwood tree, planning to live as a philosopher hermit. No work, no thinking, just peaceful solitude in the California wilderness. But Jerome's dream of lazy isolation crumbles when dozens of raccoons and spotted skunks decide his home looks perfect for their own needs. The animals move in without permission, treating his house like their personal playground. They come and go whenever they please, turning Jerome's quiet retreat into something he never expected. What started as his escape from the world becomes a crisis that demands his immediate attention. Jerome must figure out how to handle his uninvited guests while discovering that true solitude might not be what he actually wanted after all.
Genres: fiction, animals, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: California
Period: 20th Century
209 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday & Co.