Life in small-town Pennsylvania in 1965 is starting to reflect concerns reverberating across the country: The shadows of World War II remain, with the specter of Nazis who escaped justice lingering; the effects of the more recent Korean war are still felt; and on the home front, second-wave feminism is changing the dynamics of the traditional household. It’s against this backdrop that canines Jenny, Milo, Pfifers, and Oscar observe their humans and do their best to steer them in the right direction. Jenny, a standard poodle, arranges for her widowed owner, Alvin, to become romantically involved with Oscar’s owner, Sylvia, by scheming with the golden retriever. Tiny rescue mutt Pfifers witnesses the tensions between married couple Nancy and Jim Addams, and comforts their daughter, Susie, during their rows. Stray sheepdog Milo is always around to help; he’s reachable through the Canine Communications Network. The lives of the dogs and their humans intersect across the narrative. Other characters include Corinne, a single parent and diner waitress raising a son with Down syndrome; Eileen, a schoolteacher with dreams beyond the classroom; and Joseph Aaronson, a psychiatrist treating patients at a local military base. The most intriguing thread involves Max, an aging German hiding in plain sight who may have been complicit in—or at least willfully ignorant of—the horrors of the Nazi war machine. The interweaving storylines are capably handled and well structured, and the dogs are charming; Matic displays great wit conveying their perspective: “Human behavior was, as a matter of course, incomprehensible to the rational, canine mind.” Unfortunately, the novel’s inconsistent tone undercuts the more serious subject matter—using dogs as a cutesy storytelling device seriously undermines a narrative that also touches upon Zionism after the Second World War and conflicts over the developing state of Israel.