Bret Anthony Johnston encounters many strange animals in his thirteen story collection, Encounters with Unexpected Animals, but the one we gain empathy and insight to is the human one. Set in primarily impoverished south Texas, the characters in this collection try to make connections—parents to children, children to parents, teenagers to each other.
My favorite was Half of
What Atlee Rouse Knows About Horses, where Johnston creates not only a
beautifully sad story, but takes the reader along to the joy of wild horses,
and the way we all survive. It’s a
wonderful collection by a talented writer.
Encounters with Unexpected Animals was published on February 24, 2026,
by Random House. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
