Dog Years

Doty, Mark

ISBN 10: 006123401X ISBN 13: 9780061234019

Publisher: HarperAudio, 2007

Synopsis

Why do dogs speak so profoundly to our inner lives? When Mark Doty decides to adopt a dog as a companion for his dying partner, he finds himself bringing home Beau, a large golden retriever, malnourished and in need of loving care. Beau joins Arden, the black retriever, to complete their family. As Beau bounds back into life, the two dogs become Mark Doty's intimate companions, his solace, and eventually the very life force that keeps him from abandoning all hope during the darkest days. Their tenacity, loyalty, and love inspire him when all else fails.

Dog Years is a remarkable book: a moving and intimate memoir interwoven with profound reflections on our feelings for animals and the lessons they teach us about life, love, and loss. Mark Doty writes about the heart-wrenching vulnerability of dogs, the positive energy and joy they bring, and the gift they bear us of unconditional love. A book unlike any other, Mark Doty's surprising meditation is radiantly unsentimental yet profoundly affecting. Beautifully written, Dog Years is a classic in the making.

About this title

About the Author:

Mark Doty's books of poetry and nonfiction prose have been honored with numerous distinctions, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN/Martha Albrand Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and, in the United Kingdom, the T. S. Eliot Prize. In 2008, he won the National Book Award for Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems. He is a professor at the University of Houston, and he lives in New York City.

Mark Doty's books of poetry and nonfiction prose have been honored with numerous distinctions, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN/Martha Albrand Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and, in the United Kingdom, the T. S. Eliot Prize. In 2008, he won the National Book Award for Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems. He is a professor at the University of Houston, and he lives in New York City.

From AudioFile:

In a blend of memoir, literary criticism, and reflections on dogs and death, Mark Doty recounts the making of his human-canine family. As his partner, Wally's, death becomes inevitable, Doty rescues Beau from an animal shelter, believing the golden retriever will ease his pain and become a companion for their aging black retriever, Arden. When Beau becomes ill, caretaking rescues Doty from depression, and Beau and Arden become his anchor to life. Doty's perceptions celebrate canine life forces and the connection that lets human and animals transcend tragedy and keep hope alive. Doty's reading has a singsong quality. At times, this complements the lyrical tone of this work, and other times it becomes too hypnotic. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 006123401X
• ISBN 13: 9780061234019
• Binding: Audio CD
• Number of pages: 5