Dawg Towne explores universal themes of love and loss through the deceptively simple lens of suburban life. But is life in the suburbs ever really simple? Over the course of one year in Towne, spouses die, children grow up, affairs begin and end, lies are repeatedly spoken, bad sex happens (good sex, less often), gender is questioned, and dogs go missing. Many dogs. Humorous and canine-centric, Dawg Towne is like Peyton Place re-written by Dorothy Parker and your friendly neighborhood veterinarian. And yes, this is a work of fiction.
dawg towne: a novel
"DAWG TOWNE yowls, bristles, romps, and all but licks your face, as vivacious as its characters, canine and otherwise. Alice Kaltman is one of those writers whose clear enjoyment of the task at hand beams through every phrase she makes."
— Rachel Lyon, Self-Portrait With Boy
“DAWG TOWNE is a wise, big-hearted portrait of a community undergoing a year of change. Whether it’s a celebrity in exile, a widower, a young girl, or even the consciousness of the town of Towne itself, Kaltman approaches all of the characters in her ensemble cast with empathy while refusing to hide their many foibles. Like the lost canines of Towne, you’ll hope these lovable stray souls are found.”
— Leland Cheuk, author of No Good Very Bad Asian
"Alice Kaltman’s Dawg Towne is a wonder. I consumed this novel the way I read as a child: devouring, delighting, desiring nothing but to get in one more chapter before bed. Why can’t every book be like this one? Funny, profound, beautiful, fun, and brimming with truths about what it means to be a person in the world. Enter Dawg Towne and encounter a cast of characters—both human and canine—that you won’t soon forget."
— Amy Shearn, author of Unseen City