Because "grieving for an animal can be a pretty lonely place," Barbara Abercrombie created this joyful and poignant, funny and smart collection of commiseration. Readers meet the cat who liked to fish tampon tubes out of the trash and then appear "jauntily holding one in his mouth as if smoking a cigarette," the dog who demanded down pillows, and even a coyote who became part of the family. The sometimes surprising things animals add to a household - and how their loss reverberates - are highlighted, and because these are such fine writers, each essay also reveals larger truths about life. Whether the reader is grieving a loss, cherishing a current companion, or simply relishing a tale well told, the message is clear: it is better to have loved and lost... Because "grieving for an animal can be a pretty lonely place," Barbara Abercrombie created this joyful and poignant, funny and smart collection of commiseration. Barbara Abercrombie has published novels, children's picture books - including the award-winning Charlie Anderson - and works of nonfiction. Her personal essays have appeared in national publications as well as in many anthologies. She received the Outstanding Instructor Award and the Distinguished Instructor Award at UCLA Extension, where she teaches creative writing in the Writers' Program. She also conducts private writing retreats and writes a weekly blog at www.WritingTime.typepad.com. She lives with her husband, Robert V. Adams, and their rescue dog, Nelson, in Santa Monica, California. "Pet owners everywhere will thank Barbara Abercrombie for pulling together this moving collection. The writing in these pages not only provides comfort but offers a master class in storytelling as well."
