This richly eccentric, beautifully written novel marks the debut effort of Canadian novelist Elizabeth Kelly. Her first fiction centers itself around young Martha's Vineyard native Collie Flanagan, whose native helplessness is perhaps signaled by his name, a token of his parents' favorite dog breed. Collie's parents are a classic mismatch; a philandering, alcoholic father and a cantankerous, perhaps slightly unbalanced mother. Other family members seem almost equally dysfunctional. In this complex stew, Collie somehow maintains his equilibrium after a rapid-fire succession of tragedies leaves him sputtering, almost unhinged. Apologize, Apologize! tracks an unconventional character in an unconventional, unforgettable way.