The Speed of Souls

Pirog (Unforeseen) returns with a funny and poignant supernatural story about a man processing his grief and midlife doldrums. Thirty-something science fiction novelist Jerry Ryman is in the dumps. His fiancée left him, one of his dogs died, his last book bombed, his agent is waiting for his next one, and he’s living in his parents’ Lake Tahoe vacation house while they go off to be swingers (at a particularly low point for Jerry, he matches with his mother on Tinder). Jerry weeps when he thinks of his puppy, Hugo, who was hit by a car; in fact, Jerry hasn’t handled death well since his childhood friend Morgan drowned. But unbeknownst to Jerry, Hugo has been reincarnated as a kitten in San Francisco. As Hugo hilariously adjusts to his tiny claws, meows, and new ability to land on his feet after a fall, he decides to make the perilous journey back to the mountains to reunite with Jerry and Jerry’s other dog, Cassie. Meanwhile, Jerry begins dating a younger woman who sports a Harry Potter tattoo, and Cassie demonstrates her loyalty to Jerry to dramatic effect. The author reins in the far-fetched material to craft a breezy story, and finds plenty of humor in animal antics and Jerry’s reentry to the dating scene. This offers plenty of charm. (Self-published)