People may drift apart, but love can hold them together. A touching tale of pets and family told in the âvenerable spare and moving styleâ of Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall (Booklist). When Williamâs father leaves, his mother promptly goes out and adds four dogs and a cat to their lives. Williamâs sure that nothing can fill the hole left by his father, but the new additions to the family are determined to help. With his sister, Elinor, and his mother, William will learn that âfamilyâ can come in all shapes and sizes, because sometimes we find love through magic, and sometimes that magic is all around us.