rev. of Animal Crackers by Hannah Tinti

Animal Crackers, stories by Hannah Tinti (Dial): "You hear animal stories every day," one of Hannah Tinti's charming characters declares, "how a bee stung little Johnny and he went into cardiac arrest. How a snake bit Cousin Tom and it shriveled up his toe . . . These stories are supposed to give warning." Her debut collection, Animal Crackers, does indeed give warning, but in surprisingly harsh and yet exuberant ways, as she examines infidelity, love triangles, murder, and all nature of ordinary life in light of the stunning array of animals that manage to make their appearance known. —Fred Leebron