Synopsis
from Goodreads: Meredith
Mancuso is depressed. Ever since the death of her fiancé, she has
shrunk from the world. Even with her successful writing career, she's
not motivated to work. When her sister, Monica, begs for a favor,
Meredith wants nothing more than to say no. But she’s ultimately
roped into pet-sitting an orphaned Yorkshire terrier named Prozac.
Blessed
with spiritual wisdom and a high IQ, Prozac is an active pet therapy
dog. To heal broken-hearted Meredith, he rallies his fan club at
Evergreen Gardens, an independent living facility, where he visits
each week.
Prozac
and the community of resilient older folks challenged by losses of
their own propel Meredith, often against her will, back into the land
of the living. Meredith learns that most people carry some sort of
burden, but it's still possible to find meaning, purpose, and joy—and
sometimes, even love—along the way.
Stats
for my copy: Kindle edition, Red Adept Publishing, 2016.
How
acquired: Offered to me by the author.
First
line: The minute the breeder opened the crate, my littermates
went nuts.
My
thoughts: I'm a sucker for dog
stories, so the first line of this book immediately grabbed me, as it
was first person point of view being narrated by a dog. Prozac
started his new life as a little Yorkshire terrier, going from the
laundry room of a breeder to a home with an elderly Helen. It's not
his first life. Prozac is a Spirit Guide Dog, sent to earth to
complete mission after mission, each time being born into the body of
a different dog. Unlike your average dog, he understands everything
going on around him, and can read. His dream is to star on the stage
as Sandy in the musical “Annie”. However, right now his life is
with Helen, who has had him certified as a therapy dog, and takes him
to nursing homes, hospitals, children's story time at libraries, etc.
He's not sure what his actual mission is, but he has a pretty
comfortable cushy life in the meantime. Then Helen has to be
hospitalized, and puts Prozac in the car of her accountant, who then
dumps him on her sister, Meredith.
I
frankly had trouble connecting with Meredith at first, through no
fault of the author. She's never had a dog, never really been around
dogs, and is not the least bit interested in taking care of a
stranger's dog. She's furious with her sister for saddling her with
this responsibility. I, on the other hand, have always had dogs, I
love dogs, and I would love more than anything to be a doggie foster
parent. So it was hard to relate to Meredith's feelings as she ranted
and raved about the situation her sister put her in. I don't
understand how anyone could not love dogs! Unless, of course, like
Meredith's sister, they are highly allergic to dog hair.
The
narration actually alternates, with some chapters being told from
Prozac's point of view, and others narrated by Meredith. Her fiance
was senselessly murdered several years ago, and she is still grieving
his death. Despite her aversion to dogs and not welcoming Prozac into
her home with cuddles and kisses planted on top of his head, she's a
very sympathetic character. Her grief is practically palpable,and my
heart went out to her again and again.
That
doesn't mean the story is heavy or depressing, although towards the
end there were some feels, and I did get very teary-eyed. But overall
it's actually fairly light, with a lot of humor. There's an
interesting cast of supporting characters. I did get some of the
residents of the senior independent living center confused, but most
of the supporting characters are quite distinctive, with their own
quirks. In fact, I think the only thing that prevented some of those
characters from taking over the story at times was the narration not
being in third person POV. And while I wouldn't really classify the
book as being a romance, there was a little of that eventually thrown
in. I lean toward romance more than any other genre, but I still
would've enjoyed the story just as much without that element, so
that's definitely a point in the author's favor.
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