MATTIE, MILO, AND ME

A woman unexpectedly transformed by canine companionship tells a story of family trauma, loss, and healing in this memoir.

Walk into any corner bookshop, and you’ll likely find more than one title that explores the emotional connection between humans and their dogs. From J.R. Ackerley’s graphically detailed memoir My Dog Tulip (1956) to Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008) and Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend (2018), both novels, some of the best canines in the literary canon seem to be those who have plenty to teach their human companions. That maxim holds true in this touching memoir about a woman whose battle with depression is made easier by two dogs, the first of which (a wheaten terrier named Mattie) came into her life as part of her resolution to be the best mother she could be to her three sons, who begged and pleaded, as children often do, for a furry creature of their own: “I could no longer put off the inevitable. We had enough creatures in tanks and cages. It was time for the dog.” Despite Abel’s initial reservations, both Mattie and her successor, Milo, came to mean just as much (if not more) to her as they did to her kids, providing instrumental relief from her battle with depression. Anyone who’s lost a pet or has read enough books about those who have will find much of this book to be familiar. Still, a certain kind of pet lover, looking for a comforting reminder of the powerful bond that can occur between animals and humans, may finish this book teary-eyed. Others may take issue with the excessive detail and the sometimes-unnecessary dialogue scenes. Still, canine aficionados will find that the work gives them yet another reason to cherish the precious time they have with their four-legged family members.

An affecting, if somewhat formulaic, reminder that dogs aren’t just pets but also vessels of love, hope, and recovery.