The multiple meanings of the title Traveling Light ripple through Andrea Thalasinos's second novel (after An Echo Through the Snow), as her protagonist, Paula Makaikis, escapes a stifling New York City career, a loveless marriage and a murky family history the day she rescues Fotis--a wolf-like dog whose name comes from the Greek word for light.
As the novel begins, Paula plugs away at her well-paying job and hides her private life with an emotionally estranged husband who is a hoarder. When a social worker friend calls her to translate for a dying homeless Greek man, Paula discovers a long-lost "Uncle" and feels drawn to adopt his dog. Fotis (who understands only Greek) inspires her to abandon her complacency, buy an SUV and hit the road.
En route to visit friends in Minnesota, she has a newfound sense of adventure that leads her spontaneously to apply for a job at a wildlife rehab center on Lake Superior, where she discovers her true calling. Within a week, fate has led Paula to rescue Fotis, owls, eagles and, ultimately, herself.
Thalasinos draws on her Greek heritage, her life in Wisconsin and her love of animals. Passionate descriptions of mistreated wildlife and puppy mills are credible rather than didactic, as Paula discovers what really matters to her. She thoughtfully travels light: without worldly goods or self-doubt, but with Fotis and a soaring sense of purpose. --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller, Book Passage, San Francisco