Overview
It's hard to believe that a walk in the park can change a life - let alone two - but for Janice Gary and her dog Barney, that's exactly what happened. Gary relied on dogs to help her feel safe when walking on her own ever since being attacked on the streets of Berkeley as a young woman. This solution worked well for years until her canine companion passed on. Grieving, and without the benefit of a guardian, she encounters a stray Lab-Rottweiler puppy in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot and falls for his goofy smile and sweet nature. With his biscuit-sized paws, Barney promises to grow into her biggest protector yet. But fate intervenes when Barney is viciously attacked by another dog just before his first birthday. From that time on, he becomes dog-aggressive. Walking anywhere with Barney is difficult. But for Gary, walking without him is impossible. It's only when she risks taking him to a local park that both of their lives change forever. There, Janice faces her deepest fears and discovers the grace of the natural world, the power of love and the potency of her own strengths. And Barney no longer feels the need to attack other dogs. Beautifully written, Short Leash is a moving tale of love and loss, the journey of two broken souls finding their way toward wholeness.
Full Product Details
Author: Janice Gary ,
Janice Gary
Publisher: Michigan State University Press
Imprint: Michigan State University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.376kg
ISBN: 9781611860726
ISBN 10: 1611860725
Pages: 246
Publication Date: 01 August 2013
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
Sometimes redemption comes in the form of a rambunctious four-legged creature. Such is the case with Gary's debut memoir. In this beautifully written book, the author's beloved dog Barney tugs and ultimately drags his emotionally damaged human companion through parks and paths to an inner place of strength, joy, and freedom from her painful past. --Mira Bartok, author of the National Book Critics Circle award-winning memoir, The Memory Palace
Sometimes redemption comes in the form of a rambunctious four-legged creature. Such is the case with Gary's debut memoir. In this beautifully written book, the author's beloved dog Barney tugs and ultimately drags his emotionally damaged human companion through parks and paths to an inner place of strength, joy, and freedom from her painful past. --Mira Bart k, author of the National Book Critics Circle award-winning memoir, The Memory Palace Gary's book reminds me not only of what dogs bring to our lives--their warmth, strength, and acceptance of the imperfect humans they live with--but of what words are for. The words in Short Leash leap off the page, carving Barney, his imperfect human, and their extraordinary landscape deep into my memory. Luminously spiritual, unflinchingly honest, this book re-makes its genres into a profound meditation. --Louise Bernikow, author of Dreaming in Libro: How a Good Dog Tamed a Bad Woman and Bark If You Love Me Janice Gary achieves a remarkable feat, taking the reader on a vast inward journey toward freedom from the effects of real trauma in her youth by walking her dog in a public park. With Barney by her side, she faces her deepest fears and discovers the grace of the natural world, the power of love, and the potency of her own strengths. There were innumerable times when I was just knocked over by this book. This is a stunningly beautiful story told by a gifted writer. --Meredith Hall, author of Without a Map Short Leash is about finding the courage to hope despite what happened in the past and what will happen to those you love in the future. It's about discovering that it's never too late to grow out of pain and into strength. Plus, there is the dog. Reading this made me snuggle mine for a very long time. --Susan Kushner Resnick, author of You Saved Me, Too and Goodbye Wifes and Daughters
Author Information
Janice Gary is the recipient of the Christine White Award for Memoir/Personal Essay and the Ames Award for Essay. Her work has appeared in Literal Latte, Kaleidoscope, The Baltimore Review, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Potomac Review and Women Speak Out, an anthology of women writers published by the Crossing Press. She teaches writing workshops throughout Mid-Atlantic area and is a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, USA.
