The Penniman Menagerie is ostensibly the tale of a defunct zoo being rebuilt in late-nineteenth-century England—but it is really the story of the disparate group of individuals who come to live and work there: the wealthy owner who sees its renaissance as a tribute to her deceased husband; the man who fears that his sickly son will die of tuberculosis like his wife; the woman who can calm terrified animals by the touch of her hands but can’t always connect with her daughter; the young man who has broken away from his strict religious upbringing; the amateur historian who is quick with his fists; and the abandoned child whose only skill is that of survival—to name a few.

These onetime strangers will work together, fight for the menagerie, and encounter unforeseen adventures. Confronting themes of isolation, independence, maturation, racism, overcoming insecurity, and the importance of affirmation and belonging, The Penniman Menagerie illuminates the vital importance of family, whether it is the family one is born into or the family one is lucky enough to find.