Familiaris by David Wroblewski

Book Description

It is spring 1919, and John Sawtelle’s imagination has gotten him into trouble … again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin’s north woods, where they hope to make a fresh start—and, with a little luck, discover what it takes to live a life of meaning, purpose, and adventure. But the place they are headed for is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends—human, animal, and otherworldly—to realize their dreams.

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, mysterious and enchanting, Familiaris takes readers on an unforgettable journey from the halls of a small-town automobile factory, through an epic midwestern firestorm and an ambitious WWII dog training program, and far back into mankind’s ancient past, examining the dynamics of love and friendship, the vexing nature of families, the universal desire to create something lasting and beautiful, and of course, the species-long partnership between Homo sapiens and Canis familiaris.

Review

Seven years ago, on a long, solo drive to Michigan, I listened spellbound to The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. The book utterly hooked me. The vivid world he crafted unfolded in my mind as I traversed hundreds of miles of midwestern farmland. Long after my trip, the characters and the story Wroblewski spun lingered in my mind.

So, imagine my delight when I learned Wroblewski released Familiaris, the prequel to The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, earlier this year. Even though I knew where Edgar Sawtelle’s story ended, I was curious to see how Wroblewski would create a foundation for the indelible story I’d read years before.

In Familiaris, Wroblewski takes us back in time to explore the origins of the Sawtelle family, spanning from 1919 to the 1960s. We get to know John Sawtelle and his wife, Mary, as they build a life together in the woods of Wisconsin, starting a family and raising their intelligent, almost otherworldly dogs.

While Familiaris isn’t a fantasy tale, Wroblewski weaves strands of supernatural lore into the story, establishing a foundation for the astonishing Sawtelle dogs. By adding speculative elements, Wroblewski creates a story that feels real and grounded, but also just mystical enough to make you feel you’re glimpsing something extraordinary.

For me, this added depth to the story’s themes of connection and loyalty.

Breaking Rules

While reading Familiaris, I marveled at how effortlessly Wroblewski broke so many traditional “writing rules”.

For example, the pacing is, well… let’s say “leisurely.” The story meanders through long stretches of the Sawtelle family’s lives, lingering on daily details and allowing the smallest moments to breathe. In today’s world of fast-paced commercial fiction, that’s typically a “no-go.” But here, the slower pace feels right, almost like we’re given the gift of living alongside John and Mary in rural Wisconsin.

Then, there’s the structure. Or lack thereof. Familiaris doesn’t lean on a traditional plot arc with climactic tension building toward a single showdown. It doesn’t follow a linear chronology. It doesn’t even focus on a single storyline.

Familiaris isn’t driven by high stakes or nail-biting suspense, but by complex relationships and small, intimate moments. Many editors (and readers!) might say this breaks the rule of needing a clear antagonist, but Wroblewski pulls it off, creating a tapestry of smaller conflicts and personal trials that make the characters feel rich and real.

Wroblewski also brushes aside the convention of “show, don’t tell.” He’s not afraid to dive into the narrator’s thoughts, to tell us directly about family histories or relationships, in a way that feels almost nostalgic.

Yet despite all of this, somehow, the story works.

By eschewing writing rules, the book invites us to slip into its pages on its own terms. And the writing is so beautiful that I found myself grateful for every slow, rule-breaking moment.

Familiaris is magic. In it, Wroblewski delivers an incredibly heartfelt, immersive story. It’s a lovely, thought-provoking read that is sure to stay with me long after the last page, and a perfect compliment to The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

Content Warning

Amputation, Animal Cruelty, Animal Death, Blood, Death, Fire, Grief, Murder, War

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Federico Respini on Unsplash