Waiting for the Magic

Waiting for the Magic (2011) is a middle grade novel by American author Patricia MacLachlan that invokes magical elements of the fable. The story is narrated by William, a young boy whose father abruptly leaves the family. To cope with the sudden void, William’s mother impulsively adopts four dogs and a cat. As William and his four-year-old sister, Elinor, adjust to their new life, they discover that the animals can talk, a magical ability that helps the fractured family navigate their grief and find a new way to be whole. The novel explores themes of The Healing Power of Animal Companionship, The Redefinition of Family in the Wake of Absence, and Finding Magic in Emotional Honesty and Connection. 

An author of more than 60 books for young readers, including her 1986 Newbery Medal-winning novel Sarah, Plain and Tall, MacLachlan was also awarded the National Humanities Medal for her contributions to children’s literature in 2002. Waiting for the Magic was recognized as a Junior Library Guild Selection and has been nominated for numerous state book awards, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award.

This guide refers to the 2012 Atheneum Books for Young Readers paperback edition.

Plot Summary

On a Saturday morning, the narrator, William Watson, and his four-year-old sister, Elinor, watch their father, Joe, or “Papa,” leave home after an argument with their mother, Janey, or “Mama.” Papa, a literature teacher, leaves notes for the children explaining that he has gone away to write but will return soon. Angrily, William tears up his note. In response, Mama takes the children to an animal shelter, declaring that Papa, whom she calls a “flawed man,” never wanted a dog. At the shelter, they meet a worker named Julia and see four dogs: Bryn, a sturdy brown dog; Bitty, a high-energy terrier; Grace, a shy, retired racing greyhound; and Neo, a large Great Pyrenees mix puppy. To Julia’s surprise, Mama adopts all four. At Elinor’s request, she also adopts a cat named Lula.

The house fills with the new animals, creating a peaceful dynamic. Lula the cat allows Elinor to dress her in baby clothes, and each dog bonds with a specific family member. Bryn becomes Mama’s dog, Grace watches over Elinor, and Bitty and Neo become William’s companions. Meanwhile, William’s grandfather, Will, offers the boy emotional support, acknowledging that Papa is a mystery. When Elinor demonstrates an uncanny connection to the animals by waving a toy wand and making the dogs sit in unison, she also seems to hear Grace’s thoughts about wanting “tepid” water. A section written from the dogs’ perspective confirms that they can communicate with each other and that young children like Elinor can hear and understand them.

The children’s unresolved feelings about their father’s absence soon surface. Elinor has a dream about Papa and sleeps in William’s bed, where Grace joins them. When William tells Elinor that he does not miss their father, the dogs’ narration reveals that this is untrue. The next morning, Mama holds a “serious talk” about Papa’s departure but struggles to provide clear answers, explaining only that he is “confused.” Elinor’s direct questions upset Mama, and William remains silent to protect his mother and sister. Shortly after, Mama becomes ill. While William and Elinor care for her, the animals’ narration reveals that Mama is pregnant.

Family and friends visit, offering different perspectives. Mama’s eccentric friend called “Marvelous Murphy” is impressed by Elinor’s “magic” with the dogs. William’s grandmother Gran, who can also hear the dogs, tells William that he is not yet “brave enough” for magic. 

The family’s emotional turmoil deepens when Papa calls for the first time. Elinor speaks to him but is deeply upset by the call and cries. William refuses to talk to his father, while Mama argues with her husband and calls him an “idiot.” She later adds the word to Elinor’s list of forbidden “bad woods” (her mispronunciation of “words”). 

Soon after, Mama holds another formal meeting and reveals her pregnancy to the children. William becomes angry that she has not yet told Papa. That night, struggling to express his feelings to Mama, William hears Neo’s voice in his head, telling him what to say: that not telling Papa “doesn’t help him to be the father he can be” (56). After this breakthrough, William confirms with Elinor that the magic is real. 

Two months after he left, Papa returns unexpectedly during Elinor’s half-birthday party. William yells “No!” while Elinor runs to hug him. Bryn growls at Papa, and Mama reveals that William prompted her to call him. That night, Papa sleeps on the couch, with the four dogs standing guard.

Papa begins to reintegrate into the family, explaining that he left to find the courage and magic to write a book. William, remembering something Bryn said, tells Papa that writing is hard work, not magic. Soon, Papa starts cooking for the family and studying dog care. He tells Elinor and William that as a child, he always wanted a dog named “Scooter.” He decides to use the attic room as his office, and while there, he gives an impromptu speech to the dogs about how they kept the family together. Neo tells William that the speech is the beginning of a poem. Papa overhears Neo and is shocked to realize that the dogs can talk. He asks Bryn for permission to sleep in the bed with Mama again, and she agrees on the condition that he has come home “for good.”

As the family prepares for the baby, Papa begins writing in his attic office, with the dogs as his “muse.” During a walk, William admits that he would miss Papa if he left again, and Papa promises to never leave. When winter arrives, Mama goes into labor, and her parents come to stay with the children. Papa calls from the hospital to announce the birth of their son Nicholas. The next day, the family visits the hospital, and Papa brings the four dogs, who wait in the parking lot for Mama to wave to them from her window. After Mama and Nicholas come home, Julia, who works at the animal shelter, calls about a lone dog who needs a home.

At Mama’s urging, Papa takes William and Elinor to the shelter. They find a small brown dog whose cage is labeled “Scooter,” the name Papa had wanted for a childhood dog. They adopt him. In the car, Papa jokes that he does not suppose Scooter can talk, and Scooter replies that he does. 

At home, Mama is shocked to hear Scooter greet her. Then, the other dogs explain that she could not hear them before because her mind was occupied by thoughts of the baby. Now that Mama can hear them all, she becomes joyful at their words. That night, William finds a poem on Papa’s computer titled “EYES,” which describes how the dogs’ eyes showed Papa who he is, who he loves, and “where the magic is” (142). The poem ends with the line “Good night, William” (143). Then, William goes to his room, where Scooter is waiting on his bed.