Our Familiars: The meaning of animals in our lives (Anne Coombs, Upswell)
How do we become more attuned to the animals in our lives and challenge ourselves to recognise that their lives are as meaningful as our own? This is the project begun by Anne Coombs at the start of Our Familiars and completed by her death in late 2021. Coombs was surrounded by animals from childhood—as pets and working animals on farms and properties. Some special animals are introduced throughout the book as Coombs seeks deeper understanding: a donkey called Lina; a horse named Vincent; dogs, cats, cows; and Elsie, her childhood goat. As she re-examines her relationship with each, she reads broadly across animal behavioural studies, science, philosophy, ethics, and more. She wrestles with thinkers across the spectrum, from radicalised vegans to those who view animals only in relation to their usefulness to humans. The narrative tracks several years, inviting us into the various intimacies (and also misconnections and puzzles) between Coombs and her animal familiars. Coombs’s conclusions are not extreme, nor even overly rigorous; much is observed, felt, and meditated upon. While reading, I attempted new ways of communicating with my rescue greyhound, Mallory, and was open to thinking more deeply about her. Our Familiars is approachable and accessible but subtly revelatory: an invitation for readers to open their minds to the beings with whom we share this earth and to consider the expectations we put upon them. Though less academic than Abandon Every Hope by Hayley Singer, Our Familiars would be a good complement to that title, and is also recommended for readers of Maggie Mackellar.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Angela Meyer is an author and lecturer in writing and publishing at RMIT. She is a former publisher and bookseller. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews