The title of Kristin von Kreisler's seventh book, A Reason for Hope, has a poignant double meaning. A trauma victim climbs from despair to optimism, aided by Hope, a yellow Labrador retriever "courthouse dog" trained to offer comfort.
Tessa Jordan, 36-year-old bookmobile librarian and caregiver to a band of feral cats on her Puget Sound island, looked forward to a date with a well-respected man from the community. But she awoke the next morning with no memory of their evening, and obvious sexual assault injuries. In sensitively written detail, A Reason for Hope describes Tessa's shame, fear and emotional turmoil as she reluctantly calls the police, as well as County Prosecutor Will Armstrong's efforts to support Tessa while building a case to prosecute her attacker. The conflict between a victim's hesitation and legal protocols leading to justice are well drawn, as is the professional reserve Will and Tessa maintain even as the situation opens to the possibility of a romantic spark. As Hope's handler, Will makes sure she is available when Tessa might need a paw on her foot or a soft ear to stroke. "I am here. Don't you worry. I care," Hope seems to say, lying in her "library-lion" pose. Victim-support group meetings empower Tessa, while Hope stays alert to who might need a calming friend.
Tensions rise during painful trial prep and courtroom confrontations. Meanwhile, Hope's role expands as she and Will befriend Tessa's seven needy cats, offsetting the novel's somber theme of sexual and domestic abuse. As the title implies, both Hope and hope eventually prevail. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.