Monday, August 25, 2014

Pure Joy: The Dogs We Love by Danielle Steele

Pure Joy: The Dogs We Love

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In this moving memoir, Danielle Steel tells the story of how she met a dog the size of a mouse with a personality that could light up an entire room. From Minnie’s arrival at home in San Francisco to clothes-shopping jaunts in Paris, her adventures provide the perfect backdrop for a heartfelt look at the magic that dogs bring to our lives, and how they become part of the family, making indelible memories.

We meet Steel’s childhood pug, James; and Elmer, the basset hound who was steadfastly at her side in her struggling days as a young writer; Sweet Pea—unveiled in a Tiffany box for a dog-loving husband—and all those lucky dogs who shared a household of nine children, other canines, and one potbellied pig. As she reflects on the beloved pets who have brought joy, and sometimes chaos, to her home through the years, Steel also shares her thoughts on the trials and tribulations of bringing a new dog into a household, the challenges of housebreaking and compatibility, the losses we feel forever.
Filled with colorful characters (human and otherwise), delightful photographs, practical wisdom drawn from long experience, and brimming with warmth and insight on every page, Pure Joy is a love letter to this special relationship—and one of the most charming books yet from the incomparable Danielle Steel.

My thoughts:
I admit to picking up random books from the shelves at the library and I encourage my children to do the same, you never know what you might find if you wander out of your comfort area!  This book was a bit repetitive, but short and sweet at the same time.  It is about all of the dogs that Steel's family has owned over the years (or maybe most of the dogs as there were quite a few!) an focused a lot on her most recent addition, a two pound Chihuahua  named Minnie Mouse.  I liked how she did not gloss over pets that did not fit into their family and how they found new homes for those animals and I also liked that a lot of their pets were rescues and the emphasis she put on finding reputable breeders when buying a pet.  While I can't imagine having 9 children and 11 dogs living in one house, I appreciate the fact that she gave each of her children a chance to be a dog owner from an early age.  Years ago we had dogs, but one of my children has a pretty severe allergy so we no longer live with any animals and I feel like they are missing out at times, but not enough so that I want to make a child feel miserable all the time, of course!  This was just a random book find when wandering along the shelves.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345543752
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 10/29/2013
  • Pages: 176

Meet the Author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors, with over 600 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Winners, First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, Friends Forever, Betrayal, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death, and A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless.

No comments:

Post a Comment