When I saw this book about "Wally the Wonder Dog" I thought it looked like a cute dog story. It's actually more of a sobering memoir. Marsha Boulton, a Canadian writer, tells about the dogs she owned early on, who all had unhappy endings- a freak accident in the forest, a dangerous proclivity to wander busy streets, incurable disease. When she and her partner (writer Stephen Williams) were finally ready to get a dog again, they decided they needed a very sturdy one. Wally it was, a stout bull terrier with tons of spunk and personality. Wally accompanied the couple through the ups and downs of the next decade, providing them with laughs and comfort in their times of trouble. I liked reading about Boulton's life on her farm, and the antics of Wally. Most of the book, though, ends up being about the tangled legal battle Williams got into after publishing two books about a murderess. At the end, not unforseen, Wally dies of medical problems in his old age, but I was unable to feel sad about it, being so tired of reading about vindictive police actions and wranglings with lawyers. I do really like the way Boulton writes, though, so I wanted to find more of her books; I'd like to read the ones about her farm. But this is the only one in my library's system, so I don't know when that will happen.Borrowed from the public library; found while browsing the shelves.
Rating: 3/5 ........ 272 pages, 2006
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Gabe 'n' Arch
I recently read a really frustrating animal story that was much the same in that it was not really about the pet so much as a memoir about the author as pet owner (she had a menagerie, not just the parrot on the cover) and a parent. I've been trying to write a review without jumping all over the author. You did a good job of explaining why this one wasn't what you expected. I'll have to refer back to your review!
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