No matter what companion animal you share your life with you are probably drawn to books which concern them. And so being an ardent Dog person, a dear friend of mine, a certain Cat person called Pauline, gifted me a copy of the book of the above title. There was a proviso attached and that was that I fashion some sort of review for the Daily Mews after reading it.
And here it is.
First off this is most definitely aimed at dog lovers although many of the stories will strike a chord with anyone who has shared their life with a pet.
It is also written in a very American style because that’s where it hails from but “dogs is dogs” no matter what accent they bark in.
The format is that of a large number of short stories all pertaining to dogs (obviously) and in what I refer to as a ‘Dip in’ format. By that I mean it doesn’t need a continuous reading but can be picked up and dipped into at will as most of the stories are only 4 or 5 pages in length.
It is also a feel good book; evoking memories and experiences of one’s own dog owning life from childhood to old age.
None of the stories are laugh out loud funny, indeed most are deeply poignant but others have the face of humour smiling through the clouds of deep sadness. ‘The night Buster was a dolphin’ is one in particular and for me is the most memorable story of the entire collection.
More than one of them will raise more than a slight lump in the throat. “A dog and his boy” certainly did it for me, since I am constantly being helped through the darker hours of my fight against cancer by my two unique Border Collies called Chishii & Misty. (I have one asleep on each foot as I write this)
“Charlie”, “She knew” and “In her golden eyes” are others which could have you reaching for the tissues because you’ve suddenly got a bit of grit in your eye from somewhere.
Quotations from this sort of book are always meaningless out of context but as it’s available from Amazon then treat yourself and, if you’re a feline person, cross over to the canine side for a bit. Who knows you might like it. As it happens there is a cat version called “A Dickens of a Cat and other stories of cats we love” which is also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
Available in paperback, the ISBN numbers are:
- ISBN-10: 0800758676
- ISBN-13: 978-0800758677
Reviewed by Slim Haines, Kent, UK
A Cats Prayer
Lead me down all the right paths,
Keep me from fleas, bees, and baths.
Let me in should it storm,
Keep me safe, fed, and warm.
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