I was interested in this book for two reasons - I loved the cover and the title. A quick look at the jacket cover told me that the book was about a "dramatic turning point" in the author's life. I didn't know what that was but I was willing to take a chance. I was drawn in immediately. Ms. Caldwell had polio as a child. With a lot of hard work she was able to walk. For decades she was faithful to an exercise regime (swimming and rowing among other things) to keep her leg going. But during the past 10 years the pain and problems began. She was sure that it was related to the polio. This by itself would have interested me - and it did.
What I wasn't expecting was the dog angle. As she talked about her past pets and what they had meant to her, I found my eyes welling up with tears. When she talked about getting her latest puppy, Tula, and wondering about her ability to keep up with an energetic ball of fur I knew exactly how she felt. Throughout the book there were many sentences that struck a cord with me - in fact I copied them down. Here is one that I wanted to keep: "We need to remember, I think, that dying isn't the worst thing. That getting to love someone on the way out is a great honor, easy to forget in the wake of so much sorrow." I loved this book.
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