“I suspect that this is one of those books you either love or hate for the most part. I loved it, wept through my reading and mourned for past animals in my life to whom I didn't pay enough attention. I would consider it a must-read for those devoted to their animals. It certainly isn't one of more well written books, but it is brilliant in telling a very relevant, profound and sappy story.
Some time ago I participated in some seminars, for which a basic tenet was "It's all true". This book brought back to me my passion and thoughts about what we know and don't, that we cannot be certain of what is and what isn't, and we has come so far in our knowledge, that it seems ridiculous to argue against what could become known in the future.
There are obvious flaws in the telling, as with David's meteoric change in attitude, or the paradise-like final chapter that becomes almost fantasy. There is plenty of sadness and angst throughout the story. I liked Helena , a troubled ghost, as narrator, able to take the reader from one scene to the other quickly, especially as it moves toward it's climax, and however "out-there" it may seem.
Obviously this is not a read for everyone. It is a tear-jerker. It is sometimes too close to fantasy. The subject is fascinating, and the story is moving, and that makes for a very good book in my reading experience.”
