THE PEACE PUPPY

Hartzler reflects upon the years she cared for her ailing father while supported by unconditional love and devotion from her rescue dog.

After the sudden and unexpected death of Hartzler’s mother, the author and her two siblings were left to manage the care of their father, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Hartzler, living two hours away in Santa Monica at the time and working as a public relations agent for the travel industry, volunteered to move back to her childhood home in the Los Angeles suburbs. Given her history as the family rebel, the author decided it was time for her to reciprocate her parents’ acceptance of her independent lifestyle. She brought with her a recent gift from her mother, an adorable black Puli puppy named Baldwin—an energetic sweetheart whose irrepressible, upbeat personality brought joy to all who met him. With the help of a sensitive, live-in caregiver, Hartzler refashioned her life around her father’s increasing needs, even as she negotiated her way through sibling rivalries and her own insecurities. Her memoir, a collection of day-to-day episodes, is an informative primer about Parkinson’s disease and provides self-care advice for caregivers. Most enjoyably, it is loaded with the author’s experiences with Baldwin, who proved to be an able agility competitor (“Baldwin effortlessly sailed over the jumps as if he’d been running agility courses his entire life”) and a compassionate registered therapy dog beloved by hospital patients. Hartzler is a fine storyteller, poignantly communicating the frustrations, sadness, and stresses of her new responsibilities and changing father-daughter relationship she experienced while simultaneously building her own public relations business. The narrative contains humorous recollections from her personal and work-related journeys, such as a conversation with a travel writer who was disappointed to learn that the Phoenix Camelback Inn did not offer “fish pedicures,” a quirky spa treatment during which fish nibble on one’s feet.

A compelling tale, heartbreaking and inspirational, with an unforgettable pup that leaps off the pages.