When Abigail Thomas's husband, Richard, was hit by a car, it destroyed his short-term memory and consigned him to permanent brain trauma. He had been taking their dog, Harry, out for a walk, and Harry had come home alone. Subject to rages, terrors, and hallucinations, Rich must live the rest of his life in an institution. He has no memory of what he did the hour, the day, the year before. This tragedy is the ground on which Abigail had to build a new life rather than abandon her husband. How she built that life is a story ...
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When Abigail Thomas's husband, Richard, was hit by a car, it destroyed his short-term memory and consigned him to permanent brain trauma. He had been taking their dog, Harry, out for a walk, and Harry had come home alone. Subject to rages, terrors, and hallucinations, Rich must live the rest of his life in an institution. He has no memory of what he did the hour, the day, the year before. This tragedy is the ground on which Abigail had to build a new life rather than abandon her husband. How she built that life is a story of great courage and great change, of moving to a small country town, of a new family composed of three dogs, knitting and friendship, of facing down guilt and discovering gratitude. It is also about her relationship with Rich, a man who lives in the eternal present, and the eerie poetry of his often uncanny perceptions. This wise, plain-spoken, beautiful book enacts the truth Abigail discovered in the five years since the accident: You might not find meaning in disaster, but you might, with effort, make something useful of it. Forced to adapt to a life alone, Abigail finds solace at home, discovering that friends, family and dogs (Carolina, Harry and Rosie) can reshape a life of chaos into one that, while wrenchingly sad, makes sense - a life full of its own richness and beauty.
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Add this copy of A Three Dog Life to cart. $42.35, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by PHOENIX.
Edition:
2008, Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
My new favorite memoir. Stephen KIng's too, apparantly. Honest, touching, real.
Roni831
Oct 25, 2009
A Must Read!
The first word that comes to my mind when I finished this book is elegant. It is very elegant and lyrical. It is written with a sense of self and with gentle humor. I love memoirs if they are well-written.
This is an accounting of a woman who comes onto the street to see her husband lying there with his head literally cracked open. Her life has changed in that instant. Thomas writes about various things relating to her relationship with her husband after numerous situations arise. She writes about grieving. She writes about her dogs and how they've helped her remain sane. She writes about moving to live closer to the long-term facility where Rich lives. She writes poignantly about life, love, grief, acceptance and joy.
This is by far the least depressing memoir I have ever read. It is beautiful, achingly so. I found this book at the library by complete accident and simply browsing. I'm happy I was at the right place at the right time. I felt privilege to read such a heartfelt, heroic, aching life of Abigail & Rich. If you like memoirs, you will love this one. Even if you're not a fan of memoirs, you will still like this one simply because of the elegant essays she has written. And you will find that you relate to them simply because you are human.
