Our dear friend Brigid lost her beloved black Labrador retriever, Barkley, earlier this year. They'd been together for a long time, and I know it was a difficult period for her. Rather than sit down and mope, she sat down and wrote: and the result is now available.
She's produced a rich tapestry of tribute to a dog who wasn't a pet so much as a friend. Barkley (whom Miss D. and myself both knew, meeting him on several occasions when we visited Brigid) was full of everything fun and good in a dog. My first encounter with him was when he cheerfully stole a shoe out of my overnight bag and disappeared into the living-room, daring me to chase him and retrieve it. He did the same to Miss D.'s unmentionables and anything else that was left lying around - his idea of fun was a vigorous game of "catch me if you can!"
If you love animals - dogs or others - this is a wonderfully warm, loving, gently grieving farewell to one who was part of Brigid's heart and hearth for many years. She was - and we were - privileged to share his life. I hope he has a special place in the afterlife, ready to greet her when she crosses the river (although knowing Barkley he'll upset her boat before it's touched ground, and dump her in the water while wagging and barking like mad!).
It's available in print and as a Kindle e-book through Amazon.com (the two listings will probably be unified into a single one within the next couple of days). If you're looking for a good read, here's one I can unreservedly recommend.
Peter
To be clear, my unmentionables were not laying around. If you didn't fully zip the suitcase closed, well, Barkley was an expert at snooting open suitcases and flight bags. (And I suspect he could manage fully closed zippers with pull tabs, too.)
ReplyDeleteThe first you'd know of it was when he came out wearing something lacy or satin on his head, with the biggest roguish grin. "You're exhausted and grumpy! Cheer up! See, I'm wearing underwear on my head! It's fun! Play a game of chase and laugh, people!"
I love the line in the Book Description: "She was quite sure she was up to the task of raising a black Labrador retriever puppy." Change "She" and "He" and "black Labrador" to "Golden," and you've got the most frustrating, rewarding year of my own life. I'm really looking forward to reading this one.
ReplyDeleteYep, special book by a special friend... WELL worth the read!
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