As a child, I read all the "animal books--" "Black Beauty," "Old Yeller," "Beautiful Joe,", and, oh my God, "The Yearling." I could never go back to these because, to revise St. Teresa Of Avila's "unanswered prayers" quote, "More tears are shed over these books, than any others."
So, when an associate whose opinion I respect, pushed "The Friend" into my hands, I took it reluctantly, planning to read it at some point in time, but not right now, what with all that was going on. Then, on a day when I had an unexpected encounter with my canine friend, Cujo, who made me feel so good, I felt this was the time to read it.
While the following may sound depressing, as it turns out, it really is not. A woman writer loses a friend and mentor to suicide. There are meditations on that. In the sorting out of things, she is left Apollo, an elderly Great Dane, whom she takes on reluctantly. The woman is the prototypical lonely New York literary spinster--hey, this could have been me, darlings, twenty years ago--and, as you may guess, she and Apollo bond.
The evolution of their relationship, the devotion and loyalty each has to the other, are the book's hallmarks, and will lift your spirits. And, no, I am not spoiling things when I say Apollo does not die, at the end. I was bracing for that, myself. Instead, the end offers hope of togetherness forever--something always needed, but especially in these times.
I came away from "The Friend" with hope and inspiration. I urge all to read it. And I applaud Nunez for handling a subject that could turn maudlin and tearful, but avoids all those traps.
So impressed was I by "The Friend," I may read her latest book, "What Are You Going Through?" Indeed!
What higher recommendation can be given?
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