This is a movie that is currently out in theaters and has Dennis Quaid, among others. The trailer looks interesting, though doesn't seem to completely match the book - as per usual.
The book is so sweet. There are many dogs that take care of a human named CJ. Each time the dog dies, it is reincarnated as another dog and somehow it finds its way back to CJ. The type of dog differs each time, and the age of CJ differs each time too. It all happens linearly so it makes sense. It's not a time-travel story (that would be COOL).
I'm a total animal lover and love that this book is all about the relationship between animals and their humans. I often wonder what animals are thinking about and how they know just when to do this or that which often has a tremendous impact on their human.
Many years back, I was in the midst of break-up blues. I was dating a guy (not the Husband), and he up and disappeared on me - poof - gone. I was super sad and needed to get away for the weekend. I flew down to Southern California to spend the weekend with my sister. She had a dog - Bixby. At the time, I wasn't a huge fan of dogs - I've had 2 traumatic dog experiences in my life - but I really loved Bixby. He hung around me the whole weekend - sitting on my feet, snuggling up with me, and sleeping with me both nights. Somehow he just knew that I needed some unconditional love and snugs. Another time, when I was about to move away to go to college, my cat wouldn't leave my side - she stayed still and with me until I was ready to go. She just knew.
This book really reminded me of that - how animals "just know". I've had a few other quite memorable interactions with animals - wild and domestic - and when remembering them, I always think - how did the animal know?
Anyways, this book is very sweet, the characters seemed real, and the relationship between the dogs and their humans was touching. I loved one incarnation of the dog when he was freaking out because the humans seemed GIANT.
...The first time my vision had cleared and I saw one of these people, though, I was shocked. She was a giant, looming far over us... There were other dogs in other pens and when I gazed through the chain link fence a them I received a shock: they, too, were enormous! Where was this place, where the dogs and people were gigantic monsters? ...That's when it occurred to me: it wasn't that the people and dogs were huge; it was that I was little. I was a tiny little dog!
Turns out that incarnation was as a little chihuahua-yorkie mix dog Each dog had its own unique personality, but had recollections of each prior incarnation. I enjoyed the writing from the dog's perspective.
A good, sweet book that had me in happy/sad tears a the end.
