The animals’ bookshelf
Four books to add to your shelf this year
This column is lovingly dedicated to my late husband, Sandy Rosenthal. We shared our home with working Labradors who had us wrapped around their paws, rescued cats with astronomical medical bills and far more books than two people should own.
Not Only When the Rain Falls: Adventures in Awakening by Rita Reynolds. Shooting For Success, 2019. Softcover, 322 pages, $14.95.
“Wise” is a word frequently used by publicists when describing an author or a new book. Having been a reviewer for more than 30 years, I have learned to take such praise with a grain of salt. However, in the case of Not Only When the Rain
Falls by Rita Reynolds, I didn’t need a publicist to alert me to the wisdom found in its pages. The compassionate and universal teachings imparted by this long-time animal advocate and mystic are wise words quietly and lovingly shared.
Readers familiar with Reynolds’ previous books, Blessing
the Bridge and Ask the Cow, will find in this latest work an expansion of the themes of what we learn from our fellow creatures and nature about death and dying and living with serenity. A collection of essays,
Not Only When the Rain Falls
is a volume meant to be dipped into and a literary companion on seekers’ journeys. Now in her 70s, Reynolds looks back at how animals and nature have shaped and enriched her life, and asks us to consider how we live in our often-precarious world.
Is There Tuna in Heaven? The Story of Clio, a One-Eyed, Three-Legged Cat Who Healed My Wounded Soul by Kathy Finley. Christian Faith Publishing, 2019. Softcover, 140 pages, $19.95.
Raised in poverty and bullied in school, Kathy Finley didn’t have an easy start in life. Low self-esteem followed her into adulthood and trapped her in an abusive marriage. In this book, Finley chronicles how leaving the past behind and starting over with a loving spouse and a special feline helped her blossom into a confident and spiritual woman.
Clio, the cat in question, had her own difficulties, but, unlike the young Finley, she never allowed them to control how she perceived herself. A two-time cancer survivor, Clio lived life at full tilt, fearlessly embracing adventures and seizing every chance for joy. While Finley’s faith is an underlying theme, the book is not religious rhetoric. Cat lovers of any persuasion will be drawn to Clio and the life lessons she teaches by example.
Belly Rubbins for Bubbins: The Story of a Rescue Dog by Jason Kraus. Bubbins, LLC, 2019. Softcover, $18.99; hardcover, $29.99; 36 pages.
What would a Valentine’s Day–timed column be without a love story? Forget romantic movies and roses. If you want to learn what true love is, pick up Belly Rubbins for Bubbins, Jason Kraus’ children’s book based on the life of the dog he and his wife adopted.
Bubbins waited a long time to find the loving home and belly “rubbins” that were out there somewhere for him. Once used in dogfighting and then eventually rescued, Bubbins had no reason to trust humans. But this abused, throwaway dog did indeed find it in his heart to become a loving companion. In this tale of forgiveness and redemption aimed at young readers, Kraus has avoided the strident tone of an agenda-driven book. While the plight of pit bulls is what compelled him to write Bubbins’ story, the real message Kraus conveys is that dogs — and all sentient beings — deserve respect and love. And, like Bubbins, they will repay that kindness many times over.
My Patients and Other Animals: A Veterinarian’s Stories of Love, Loss, and Hope by Suzy Fincham-Gray. Spiegel & Grau, 2018. Hardcover, 270 pages, $27.
It all started when Alf Wight (better known by his pen name, James Herriot) wrote a series of treasured books about his veterinary practice in Yorkshire, England, in the mid–20th century. Since that time, more and more veterinarians have been inspired to write their memoirs. I don’t think there are many that I have missed. Some are mediocre, some are interesting, and some, like My Patients and Other Animals, fall into a class all their own.
In this honest and finely crafted memoir, Fincham-Gray details her move from her native England to become a veterinary specialist in internal medicine in the United States. As her academic and clinical knowledge increases, so does her understanding of her patients and their humans. The author’s prose and growing self-awareness make this book a worthy addition to the genre that Alf Wight popularized.
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