My Life with George: What I Learned about Joy from One Neurotic (And Very Expensive) Dog
When Judith Summers first met George, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who would change her life, she and her young son, Joshua, were mourning the deaths of her husband and her father, who had died barely two weeks apart.\ It was love at first sight. George was the ultimate upper-class pooch, and seemingly the perfect puppy, brimming with love and joy and complete with "the kind of film-star looks that made strangers stop in the street and coo over him."\ But, as Judith soon discovered,...
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When Judith Summers first met George, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who would change her life, she and her young son, Joshua, were mourning the deaths of her husband and her father, who had died barely two weeks apart.It was love at first sight. George was the ultimate upper-class pooch, and seemingly the perfect puppy, brimming with love and joy and complete with "the kind of film-star looks that made strangers stop in the street and coo over him."But, as Judith soon discovered, George was as time-consuming as a full-time job and as expensive to run as a Ferrari. Willful, possessive and badly behaved, he refused to eat anything other than organic roast chicken, destroyed her work, and suffered from every allergy and illness under the sun. On top of that, George was horribly accident-prone. Stuff happened to him. His vet bills alone have run to $25,000-and George is still only nine years old!It wasn't long before King George ruled the roost in Judith's home. But even after he drove away one of her suitors, she couldn't fathom giving him up. Just as his naughtiness was boundless, so was his devotion to her and her son. A foot-warmer on cold nights, a good listener, and a fierce (okay, not so fierce) protector, George was always by their side--and much of the time underfoot.For anyone who has ever loved an incorrigible pet or known what it was like to lose a loved one, My Life with George is the hilarious andmoving account of the impossible but adorable George, and of the wonderful way in which he helped to fill a huge void in the lives of both Judith andher son while driving them absolutely barking mad along the way. Publishers Weekly Coping with the loss in an 11-day period of both her ebullient husband and her beloved father in 1998, Summers, then the mother of a nine-year-old son, bought a puppy to fill the gaping emptiness in their lives. From his first night in his new London house, George, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, proved he was top dog when he finagled his way into Summers's bed. George's piercing barks could only be quieted by an early morning nosh; he vomited on carpets and beds after swallowing a foam ball; rang up astronomical bills at the vet and dental hygienist for frequent illnesses and mishaps; and ran off one of Summers's beaus with licking, farting and neediness. Summers's spiteful cat, who peed on the couch and let George take the rap, was sent packing to an animal refuge. George was devastated when Summers split with another boyfriend who pampered him with take-out Chinese, and the pooch survived a vicious attack by a bull terrier on Hampstead Heath. Although unnecessarily expanded from a newspaper article, Summers's (Casanova's Women) genial, sweet Marley-wannabe tale should appeal to other pet owners whose rambunctious animals dominate their existence. (Nov. 6)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
\ Publishers WeeklyCoping with the loss in an 11-day period of both her ebullient husband and her beloved father in 1998, Summers, then the mother of a nine-year-old son, bought a puppy to fill the gaping emptiness in their lives. From his first night in his new London house, George, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, proved he was top dog when he finagled his way into Summers's bed. George's piercing barks could only be quieted by an early morning nosh; he vomited on carpets and beds after swallowing a foam ball; rang up astronomical bills at the vet and dental hygienist for frequent illnesses and mishaps; and ran off one of Summers's beaus with licking, farting and neediness. Summers's spiteful cat, who peed on the couch and let George take the rap, was sent packing to an animal refuge. George was devastated when Summers split with another boyfriend who pampered him with take-out Chinese, and the pooch survived a vicious attack by a bull terrier on Hampstead Heath. Although unnecessarily expanded from a newspaper article, Summers's (Casanova's Women) genial, sweet Marley-wannabe tale should appeal to other pet owners whose rambunctious animals dominate their existence. (Nov. 6)\ Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalIn a period of one month, author Summers (Casanova's Women; Dear Sister) lost her husband and her father and was left to fend for herself and her eight-year-old son, Joshua. Her memoir recalls her emergence from grief and her son's journey to adulthood with the help of one bossy, poorly trained, beautiful Cavalier King Charles spaniel named George. Not knowing how to rouse herself from her paralyzing mourning, Summers agreed to her son's request to purchase a dog. From the start, George was demanding. Roasted chicken was his diet of choice. Summers's bed, even when it was occupied by a new romantic partner, was his chosen spot for rest. Shredding papers, particularly notes for a new book, was his preferred form of exercise. George was accident prone and disposed to skin and ear problems, and the vet bills added up. Yet, Summers concludes, "George found us when we were lost, and anchored us when we were adrift." Humorous and poignant, reminiscent of John Grogan's Marley & Me, this charming book is highly recommended for public library pet and self-help collections.\ —Florence Scarinci\ \ \
