Likely Stories - Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

In the pages we meet Wren and Lewis as they fall in love and get married. I love how Habeck describes Lewis' connection with Wren.

"He was an aimless kite in search of a string to ground him to the world, but instead, he'd found Wren, a great, strong wind who'd supported his exploration of the sky".

Their fairytale life, though, is soon wrecked when Lewis shows signs of morphing into a great white shark. Yes, you heard that correctly. But as odd as this sounds, this book not only works but shines. In the almost normal world that Lewis and Wren inhabit, a rare mutation occurs where people can morph into animals.

Another fun fact is that the near normal city Wren and Lewis reside in is Dallas, Texas. Some of the animals people might morph into are more dangerous than others. All are life threatening particularly when the mutation occurs in utero putting mothers at risk or when you particular mutation is the greatest predator in the ocean.

Watching the once happy marriage turn into a long goodbye is heart breaking. Decisions have to be made like how could they continue to live together? What should they do with their remaining time as two humans? They know at some point, Lewis will belong not in Dallas, but the ocean. Lewis, a theatre teacher, has to help his students prepare for their final play directed by him, and Wren, chooses to do everything she can as he transitions to ease the pain of her beloved.

The writing is captivating, creative, and mesmerizing. It vacillates between contemplation, humor, sadness, terror, and romance. We are also treated to Wren's back story which may involve another heart-breaking metamorphosis. The construction of the novel is extremely unique, and I believe this book is best consumed with a print copy so as not to miss the uniquely spaced pages.

Author Emily Habeck is a tremendous talent, and I am sure that her lyrical debut won't be her last. Hailing from a small town in Oklahoma, she is a graduate of SMU with a theatre degree as well as Vanderbilt Divinity School and Peabody College. I am excited to report that I will be interviewing the author via zoom through Fabled Bookshop in October and invite listeners to tune in to this free event.

I recommend this book to readers who love beautiful writing, a little heart break, and utterly unique stories. Until the next episode of Likely Stories, I wish you a pile of good books and a cozy reading spot.

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