Dogs and Love by Ferris Robinson

DOGS AND LOVE

Stories of Fidelity

 by Ferris Robinson

Review by Jonathan Ballam

4 Stars

In the end it's about Us

I recently offered to produce a book review. Immediately when I saw the title, I cringed. I am a cat person, this book is for a different guy. However, I decided to take a chance and push through. Besides everyone needs to experience a different genre at some point, don't they?

The book opens up with a story titled "Egyptians Run Our Household". Rather than praising the dogs from the get-go, Robinson decides to mirror her sister's criticism for the way dogs tend to 'rule' the house. They are personified to Egyptian Gods rather than common pets, boxed up and kept out of the house.

This immediately appealed to me. My views were more tied to the sister of this story, and I felt a sense of pride knowing there is always room for skeptics. Another thing that made for a pleasant read is the visual, and humorous way in which Robinson chooses to tell the tale. In the first story the author (when talking about her sister) says "she scowls at my car full of yelping livestock."

This short introduction to Robinson's chaotic (and yet manageable) domestic life spurred me on to read more. After the third or fourth story something struck me. Yes this book is simply written, and may not end up as a New York Times best seller, however it's got a tremendous amount of heart. To sum it up in a sentence, it's a collection of stories, experiences, deaths, tragedies, and beginnings that encompass Ferris Robinson and her family. I found myself clipping along from story to story. This is partly due to the diary-like style it is written in.  After mentioning this, a better way to describe it, would be a collection of anecdotes.

Further on in the book I came to the story "The Forbidden Dog". This starts off with the suggestion of a new dog to the family, but ultimately it's about the death of their dog Ruth Ann. (When I was a teenager I witnessed the death of my own pet cat, so reading this struck an awkward note inside me.) This story points to a period of melancholy and mourning wedged into the family. When a dog dies it's not just the animal that is lost, but years of memories, and the sobering reminder than the daily routine and duties in the house won't feel the same.

It's tough to pick a favorite story, especially when many of the stories are about loss of a dog or even a dog's sight. The one story I'd choose would be Anna the Amazing. Despite having all the hair (and most of her skin) torn from her body, not to mention being paralyzed as well, this dog emerges from disaster and continues to provide much joy in a family's life. I won't give away how this all happened, since I'm assuming many reading this don't like too many spoilers.

Why should you read this book?

Well, it will teach you to care. Even though dogs may rob our spot on the sofa from time to time, they also teach us that to nurture and look after something is paramount to growing as a person. Maybe read it because (like me) it's the book you're least likely to pick up, but most likely to take away something profound from.

These stories show us that animals help us to care, to cry, to love, to get angry, to boast, to mourn, to laugh and perhaps most important to realize many families are much the same, and we aren't the only "weird" ones. Whether the author realized it or not, the dogs become a kind of mirror showing  us a woman who holds her family in high regard. Here is an excerpt of that from the story (My Dog Is A Slut):

"My husband is a stellar father for sons. He has the perfect amounts of toughness and tenderness. He handles pierced ears and back-talk the same way he handles fevers and honors...he knows exactly what to do."

Maybe you've never really been a 'pet person' and find it odd that people place so much value in these creatures that make a noise and poop on just about everything. Or maybe you're on the other end of the spectrum (much like the author) and adore these companions in your life. 

Regardless of where you think you fit in terms of animal friendliness, you should give these pages a twirl, even if it is with hesitant hands. My reasoning? You will walk away changed, and hopefully see animals in a more benevolent light. Most of the book is about dogs (of course), but in the end it's really about us.

 ***

About the Author

Ferris Robinson is a columnist for www.chattanoogan.com and The Lookout Mountain Mirror and has been published numerous times in The Christian Science Monitor and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The author of Dogs and Love - Sixteen Stories of Fidelity, she is re-releasing her first cookbook Never Trust A Hungry Cook (illustrated by Laura Evans) as well as The Gorgeless Gourmet's Cookboook - Practically Fat-Free Recipes for Super-Busy People.

She does social marketing for Walden Log Homes and Walden Windows (supplier of Kolbe windows and doors). A recent empty-nester, she lives on Lookout Mountain with her husband and two dogs. (And as of last month, \ is readjusting to that empty nest being suddenly quite full again.)