Free Days with George, a Book Review
A friend, Nancy Hassel of American Pet Professionals, sent me Free Days with George, by Colin Campbell, the story of a man and the Newfoundland which rescued him. So a book review is in order. Up front I’ll tell you two things:
- I don’t usually care for memoirs, which is what this is
- I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book, beginning to end
My beef with memoirs is that they’re not usually engaging, with just a few exceptions. This one was a pleasant surprise. Y’all, sit down sometime and try writing out memories and events of a specific time in your life. Then read over it. It’s difficult to portray your own life and events while keeping a reader’s interest and having a cohesive tale. Mr. Campbell did a fine job with both.
His initial tale is pretty depressing. Well, euphoric, then depressing. His wife, the one shining love of his life and perfect woman, leaves him for no apparent reason. It’s heartbreaking! I found myself wondering about her back story. Colin mopes around, self-destructing, for months after she leaves him. I felt his pain, while wanting to come along behind him and pick up.
A good friend of Colin’s (good friends are persistent this way) pressured him to get a dog. He kept at it for a long time, until Colin finally began the search for the perfect companion. Y’all, he found a Newfoundland, a rescue, one who’d been neglected. And Colin wasn’t a dog person. The story of how he managed to bond with George is pretty incredible. I winced. A lot. But it was worth getting through the intial awkwardness of their relationship to get to the good parts.
Not that that wasn’t well written. It was. I’ve just been a dog person my entire life. It felt strange to see someone else’s life, a non-dog person, learning to relate to and communicate with a different species. It doesn’t come naturally for everyone. But I was on the sidelines cheering him on, hoping for the best. Questionning his choice of starter dogs.
I love the bits of wisdom from Colin’s grandfather which are strewn through the story. They had a great relationship. And the photos in the center of the book satisfied my need to know what everyone looked like.
Oh! The most fun part of the story is Goerge’s love of surfing! He even competed in a dog surfing competition!
I’m Giving Away the Book
I’d love for one of you to have this book. It truly is well written. So if you like books about dogs, and memoirs, and just a good story, comment on this post. I’ll choose someone to send it to on Monday. And a huge thank you to Nancy for sending it to me in the first place!
Giveaway
As always, Jones Natural Chews is holding a giveaway of one of their treats. Currently it’s their newest treat, the Bully Bacon Twist. To enter to win, simply click this sentence, scroll down to Rafflecopter in the new window, and follow the instructions. Tweeting daily increases your chances of winning. And your dog definitely wants a Bully Bacon Twist. It told me so.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea
