BARKING AT THE MOON

A syndicated newspaper columnist shares the frustrations and rewards of family life with an incorrigible flat-coated retriever in this memoir.

It was always just a question of when. Beckerman and her husband, Joel, who both grew up with dogs, knew from the beginning they would one day adopt a pup. Once their son, Josh (age 7), and daughter, Emily (age 5), were in school, and Beckerman had been writing her column from home for two years, the stars were in alignment. “I had all this time to myself,” she writes, and “it made sense that we should do something that would once again completely take over my life.” Enter Riley, whom the breeder described as the mellow pup in the litter. Mellow ended the moment he entered the car. Thus begins the story of life with Riley—who was joined by an assortment of other pets who arrived over the succeeding months: Einstein, the bearded dragon lizard; Henry, the chinchilla; and several goldfish named Larry. Following in the heralded tradition of Erma Bombeck (it will come as no surprise that Beckerman is a member of a writing workshop named for the beloved humorist), the author is a master storyteller, skillfully presenting dialogue filled with witty repartee. She captures the spark of comedy residing in the tribulations of daily life, and the abundant joy that outweighs the chaos of stolen socks, destroyed furniture, and a dog that eats toilet paper and rocks. Witness the struggle to house train Riley. The problem, it was decided, was the pooch did not know how to signal he needed to go outside. The Beckermans bought a large bell and taught Riley to step on it before taking him outdoors for a potty run. Riley loved the bell—he rang it, he threw it, he chewed it, and he sat on it. Then one day, he put it all together. He walked over to the bell, studied it, rang it with his paw, and peed on the floor. Despite the inevitable tears, this work is a funny, delightful, heartwarming read that will leave dog lovers smiling.

Laugh-out-loud canine antics and an enjoyable family of humans in a genre winner.