Synopsis

This is the long life of a marten, told in her own words. Among the trees of the woods, the grassy hills, the underground burrows, and the countryside subjugated by man, the story of an animal unlike any other is revealed. Archy is born one winter night, along with his siblings: his mother's mate has been killed, and she finds herself having to raise them alone. The animals in this book talk, use plates for food, dishes, tables, beds, and build fires, but their world remains a struggle for survival, harsh and ruthless, just like nature itself. They are driven by necessity and instinct; the strongest dominates, and the loser must fend for himself. Sensing her son's weakness, his mother trades Archy for a chicken and a half. His new owner is Solomon, an old fox full of secrets who lives on top of a hill. These changes will upend Archy's life: stolen loves, the daily cruelty of life, the present and the past will unfold before him with incredible force. Between terror and wonder, with the relentless passing of the seasons and the sting of new desires, mysteries and secrets will unfold in his grasp. Archy will be less and less an animal, a silent miracle in the forests, an anomaly. Counterbalanced by this book's pages is the miracle of a compelling narrative, which leads the reader into a dimension no longer human, precisely as it confronts the essential questions of our being men and women. My Stupid Intentions is an ambitious and lucid novel, written by a young man of just twenty-five. A sign of hope, of the future, for those who live by books.