Birdie and Harlow: Life, Loss and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids (. . . Until I Did), by Taylor Wolfe (HarperOne, 272pp, $28.99, 2023)
A Charming and at Times, Hilarious Read!
Another candidate for Book of the Year, Birdie and Harlow is an experience for dog people, particularly those who appreciate a stand-up comedian turned author (this book will leave you in stitches).
With only a slightly unusual front cover, it was the title that hooked me: birdie & harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids (. . . Until I Did).
Although some readers do not like books in which the dog talks, that is not me and the dog in this book does talk, understatedly. But, who is the dog? Is it Birdie or Harlow? And is the other, the author?
On the back cover we see a heart-dog and a baby: what is a baby doing in the picture? Does the title give a clue?
And, most importantly to kids the world over, does the dog die? (If so, many people will not want to read this book.)
The rest of this review reveals the answers to the questions above, so read on only if you dare.
Trainer Baby?
Is a dog merely a trainer baby or a part of the family in his own right? Harlow has lived with the author since before her marriage and well before her pregnancy and the birth of Birdie (daughter).
Although the chapters jumped around, we appreciated the town and date listings for each as well as the end of chapter ditties like Things Not To Say to Someone After A Miscarriage (a list) and Things to Say (one thing - I am here for you.) The pages devoted to pregnancies and the worries about taking care of a little one can be skipped if the reader samples those pages.
And yes, parts of birdie & harlow are excellent candidates for Best Book!
