Dear Gretchen: Letters to My Dog

Five years after her Shepherd mix, Gretchen, died and a year before her 30th birthday, Heidi Parker Colonna is swimming in adulthood. The quiet, country setting of her new job and talk of having a baby turn her thoughts back to a letter she dropped in Gretchen’s grave: She was Heidi’s world. She saved her from childhood grief. How could Heidi do joyful things without her original sidekick?

In this poignant book complete with diary entries and photos, Colonna tells how she set out to reconnect with her kindred spirit, asking for a sign from nature to validate that she is safe and well. One visit back to the grave provides a chance for Gretchen to answer Heidi's call in a much clearer way, one that erases grief and ushers in a new understanding of death—exactly what is needed to go on with life.

Early readers have described Dear Gretchen as “beautiful,” a “loving tribute” to a dog, and a “love story” between a girl and her dog that “makes you teary at times and smile at others.” This book is a balm for pet owners struggling to accept a beloved pet’s death. While mourners often feel like it’s the end, Colonna’s story demonstrates that our pets never say goodbye.

Heidi Parker Colonna is a lifelong animal welfare advocate, writer, and teacher.  She writes for the children's magazine, Kind News, published by RedRover. She's written for publications such as All Animals and Animal Sheltering and was contributing editor for Humane Activist Magazine.  Her writing on the themes of family and faith has appeared in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine's blog and the Red Lion Inn's Lion's Tales: A Collection of Shorts. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Al, sons Kevin and AJ, and husky/black lab mix CeeCee.