The strays of Paris by Jane Smiley

Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781529052985.
(Age: Middle school/secondary/adult) Highly recommended. A group of animals lives on scraps and their wits around the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The horse, Paras is left in her stall after a race, and when no one comes to take her home, nudges open her gate and walks out. Following her nose she comes to a broad expanse of wonderful sweet grass, close by a very tall tower. Here, a dog called Frida befriends her, and a raven, Raoul, tags along, followed by two ducks, Syd and Nancy. The gardener chooses to ignore them, as animal issues are not his concern, people at the markets give the dog scraps and are amazed when she gives them money in return. The raven pontificates about the essence of freedom, the ducks squabble about responsibility, the rat is worried about finding a mate, and the horse just loves the fresh juicy grass and a place to roll around. They are watched by an eight year old boy, Etienne, who lives with his 97 year old blind great grandmother, and one day he takes the horse home.
A beautifully written story of friendship, the tale enfolds all readers with its humour and charm, allowing us to believe that this could really happen.
Etienne keeps the stabling of the horse in their house a secret, although several shop keepers nearby become aware that something is not quite as it should be. The baker is sure she is hallucinating to see a horse in the city streets, and gives her oats and bran, the butcher provides scraps of meat for the dog, while the greengrocer is good for carrots, apples and greens, and the gardener happy to collect the horse poo for the garden. Each separately provides for the animals as well as Etienne who shops each day for his great grandmother, but each does not think beyond themselves, only coming together after the old woman dies, to discuss what happened.
This beguiling story of love and friendship, tugs at the idea of responsibility. But all comes to a wonderful denouement, more than any reader could have hoped for, as each delicate strand is woven together to make a satisfying conclusion. The Parisian background is an absolute delight, and the characters, both human and animal whose lives we follow are astonishing in their grasp of their place in the world.
Themes: Animals, Paris, Humour, Homeless, Love, Loneliness, Freedom, Friendship.
Fran Knight