First published 2006
Naturalist Sy Montgomery brings home a sickly piglet in a shoebox. The runt of his litter, he had been pushed away from meals by stronger siblings. Montgomery names him Christopher Hogwood and nurses him back to health in her New Hampshire home. The pig grows from a tiny creature to a 750-pound giant who becomes the center of village life. Neighbors fetch him home from his wandering adventures. Local children give him baths. Villagers bring him food scraps. Christopher gains national attention, appearing in USA Today and on NPR programs. Some voters even write his name on election ballots. Montgomery, who had always felt more at ease with animals than people, discovers that caring for Christopher connects her to her community in unexpected ways. The pig teaches her and others about acceptance, family, and the value of home. Christopher transforms from a dying piglet into what one friend calls a Buddha master, offering lessons about living fully on Earth.
Genres: nature, animals, contemporary, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, transformation
Setting: New Hampshire
240 pages · Kindle Edition · Ballantine Books