Lost and Found
By Jacqueline Sheehan

No matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she pumped his chest and breathed for him, Rocky could not bring her husband Bob back from the dead. She sees this as a failure and runs away to Peaks Island, Maine, where she “changes” who she is. Rocky becomes the Island’s Animal Control Warden, catching lost or hurt animals and taking them to a shelter.

Rocky befriends Tess, a resident of the Island who sees the color of pain and the shape of a day. Tess used to be a physical therapist, but has since retired to the Island and become a naturalist.

Rocky also befriends Melissa, although Melissa is a reluctant friend. From the first meeting, Melissa knows that Rocky knows her secret, a secret that Melissa has worked hard to keep hidden from her parents for a long time. Becoming too close to Rocky could splinter Melissa’s carefully structured life. Rocky also meets Lloyd, a black lab she is called to rescue, who has been shot with an arrow. She takes him to the vet and then takes him home to nurse him back to health.

Lloyd is a resilient dog, healing quickly and becoming a constant companion and guardian. He senses her pain at night when he goes into her dreams and shares her terror. He has a hard time helping her heal because he is dealing with his own losses. Rocky develops a keen interest in learning about archery. She wants to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. She needs to know how someone could possibly shoot a dog like Lloyd with an arrow, how such a thing could have happened. She meets Hill, who teaches her archery. Hill is part Native American and grounded to the earth. He knows things without asking and seeks things without looking.

Rocky also needs to find Lloyd’s owner. She needs to know who would do such a heinous thing to a beautiful, loving dog. She goes on a mission from which there is no turning back.

This book is a journey for all its characters; Rocky needs to find herself after her husband’s death. Melissa needs to find her center through the thin skin and protruding bones of her damaged body. Even Tess fights her own battle toward becoming who she will be. I recommend this book. It is a story that is at times sad, peppered with understanding, growth and reconciliation for all the characters.