For the Love of a Dog

(Hardback)

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Description

After the death of her mother and the end of a post-divorce relationship leave her heartbroken, novelist Amanda Brookfield finds her once secure world imploding. As despair closes in, she talks of getting a puppy to revive her optimistic spirit. Amanda is advised that her lifestyle will not suit becoming a dog-owner but she can't resist Mabel, a beautiful golden doodle puppy. Arming herself with an arsenal of equipment, Amanda learns that there are no short-cuts to training and caring for a dog. Through battling daily challenges and constantly regrouping, Amanda realises she is starting to come to terms with her bereavement and the prospect of facing the rest of her life alone. For the Love of a Dog tells the bigger, more poignant story about the labour of emotional recovery after the trauma of loss. Mabel shines like a light throughout, the unwitting architect of rebuilding self-belief. Mabel's own journey is equally captivating: as she blossoms into a mischievous, endearing head-turner of a companion as affectionate as she is glorious.

Reviews

I know all too well what it is to be 'saved' by a dog and this is the theme of Brookfield's delightful and entertaining 'memoir of a meltdown, recovery and a golden doodle' * Daily Mail *
A charming novel for anyone who knows the true power of a dog's love * Yours *
Heartwarming... I was impressed by the author's bravery to write so openly about her recovery from such a grief-stricken time. I found her honest description of heart-break, despair and seeking her sense of balance again very thought-provoking' * Dogs Monthly *
A poignant and often hilarious examination of how a zest for life can re-emerge from the rubble of loss. Written with the novelist's unflinching eye for telling detail and the courage of self-reflection, Brookfield's writing entertains as much as it enriches * Spalding Guardian *
A captivating, charming memoir * Cambs Times and Barking and Dagenham Post *

Author Bio

Amanda Brookfield is the author of fifteen published novels, including Relative Love, Before I Knew You and The Love Child. This is her first work of non-fiction. Amanda has two sons and lives in London with one cat, and a dog.