Familiaris

Familiaris (2024), the prequel to David Wroblewski’s acclaimed novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, delves into the origins of the Sawtelle family’s saga. Set in the early 20th century amid the tumult of World War I and Prohibition, Familiaris explores the intricate dynamics and forces shaping the characters’ lives before the events of its successor. The novel illuminates the deep-rooted relationships between key figures, centering on the protagonist, John Sawtelle, and the development of his successful dog breeding and training company.

This guide uses the e-book version of Familiaris published by Blackstone Publishing in 2024.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of mental illness, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, addiction, graphic violence, gore, animal abuse, and dog fighting.

Plot Summary

John Sawtelle’s journey begins in northern Wisconsin, where he stumbles upon a farm for sale after a chance encounter while seeking water for his overheated car. John works as a vehicle tester at the Kissel factory, where his attempts at innovation lead to his dismissal. The same day he is fired, he prevents a man from killing their boss and the company’s founder, Louis Kissel, and Kissel offers John a permanent job as a reward. John declines the job, and he and his wife, Mary, purchase the farm. They plan to bring their friends, Elbow and Frank, with them. The journey to the farm is fraught with challenges, including Frank’s emotional turmoil as he battles his war trauma and experiences addiction. As they arrive at the farm, Frank has a crisis, and they discover someone is already living in the house.

Part 2 of the novel changes perspectives, focusing on Walter and Ida Paine, the owners of Popcorn Corners, a shop near the Sawtelle’s farm. Walter reveals to John that he found his daughter, Ida, as a baby after a wildfire, and he has been raising her as his own while hiding her strange nature. Originally, Walter fled the wildfire on a boat—the Maple Frog, and was swept up by a search and rescue crew headed to Peshtigo, where he found Ida. Over the years, Ida’s unusual abilities—stemming from being intertwined with the spirit Nyx—led them to live a nomadic life, constantly moving to avoid attention. They eventually settled in Popcorn Corners, but Ida’s powers continue to cause tension and fear, especially after an incident with a local criminal who is struck by lightning after robbing Popcorn Corners.

In Part 3, John, Mary, Elbow, and Frank adapt to their new farm life along with So Jack and his stolen horse, Granddaddy, who are already on the farm when the others arrive. They repair the house, build furniture, and gather supplies as they settle into routines. So Jack introduces a unique form of “sentimental counseling” with Granddaddy, which helps Frank deal with his physical and emotional challenges. Tensions rise when John Lang, a dangerous figure from So Jack’s past, threatens their peace, but Frank takes decisive action to protect the group. Frank, So Jack, and Elbow leave, and John reflects on their progress and future, wondering if more relaxation could have kept everyone together. Part 3 concludes with John visiting Ida, having a profound vision, and then dedicating himself to his dog breeding and training business.

Over 27 years, John and Mary’s lives revolve around dogs and their children, Gar and Claude. John, now 50, runs a dog breeding and training business and tracks the dogs’ lives, guided by the belief that there is no misbehavior, only behavior—a concept from his favorite book, Practical Agriculture and Free Will. Claude becomes entangled in a dog fighting ring under the influence of Ev Minch, leading to a series of dangerous events. To repay Ev for killing Ev’s dog, Zeno, Claude arranges to convince Gar that Gar killed their shared dog, Forte, when in reality, Claude gave Forte to Ev. With supernatural help from Ida, Mary retrieves Forte from Ev, and Claude leaves.

After Claude leaves, Gar learns that Claude was working with Ev and Claude left on his own, although his parents would have kicked him out. Later, Gar expresses his desire to take over the family farm while Claude drifts through various places, manipulating and robbing people who show him compassion before eventually enlisting in the Navy as a medic. Mary and John decide to sell the farm to Gar and embark on a cross-country trip to visit the dogs they have placed. Their journey is put on pause as they spend five years house-sitting for Elbow and his wife, Audie, who go to New Zealand to extract voicewood from a tarpit. Tragically, Mary dies in a car accident.

The final installment takes place as a series of letters written to Mary from John. John moves into Mary’s old room at a boarding house, which is now an apartment complex. Over the following months, John observes Gar and his wife Trudy’s success with the farm. John struggles with grief and existential doubts; he experiments with LSD and contemplates suicide but finds solace in helping a dog during a storm. John then takes Jug, a puppy Gar was raising. John’s life is disrupted when having Jug in the apartment complex leads to his eviction, but Frank buys the building, allowing John to keep Jug. John continues to struggle with grief, and he begins to face health problems.

John dies, and his funeral is held outside so dogs can attend. Elbow builds John’s coffin from voicewood, and John is buried with a panel of voicewood that stores Mary’s voice and a helmet a friend crafted for him while he was working at the Kissel plant. The narrative concludes with Ida transforming into Nyx and howling, a sound that resonates with the living Sawtelle dogs around the world.