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A review by thejustinwestra
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean Koontz
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
I have a neighbor who gave me a copy of this book because she loves my dog, Millie, and said it’s a must-read for dog owners. A Big Little Life is a memoir about Dean and Gerda’s golden retriever, Trixie, and the impact she had on those who were lucky enough to know her.
This was a cute book! It’s full of humorous and heartwarming anecdotes from different points in Trixie’s life, from her time at Canine Companions for Independence to her time with Dean and Gerda. Some of the stories seemed to be a little exaggerated but I didn’t mind because they usually led to an observation about dog ownership or just life in general. I found the observations to be really touching and relatable as someone with two pets. There is beauty in loving a dog and living in the moment with them despite knowing they have such short lives.
Structurally this book was a little disjointed, mostly chronological but some of the stories could have been moved around. Apparently Koontz doesn’t use outlines (this is mentioned in the book) and that seemed somewhat evident while reading. With that being said, I think this book would have resonated with me more if I was more familiar with Dean Koontz’ work and how his writing has changed over time.
Overall, this was a cute memoir full of humor, emotional moments, and life lessons. I don’t know if it’s a must-read for dog owners but I’m glad I read it. I would give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This was a cute book! It’s full of humorous and heartwarming anecdotes from different points in Trixie’s life, from her time at Canine Companions for Independence to her time with Dean and Gerda. Some of the stories seemed to be a little exaggerated but I didn’t mind because they usually led to an observation about dog ownership or just life in general. I found the observations to be really touching and relatable as someone with two pets. There is beauty in loving a dog and living in the moment with them despite knowing they have such short lives.
Structurally this book was a little disjointed, mostly chronological but some of the stories could have been moved around. Apparently Koontz doesn’t use outlines (this is mentioned in the book) and that seemed somewhat evident while reading. With that being said, I think this book would have resonated with me more if I was more familiar with Dean Koontz’ work and how his writing has changed over time.
Overall, this was a cute memoir full of humor, emotional moments, and life lessons. I don’t know if it’s a must-read for dog owners but I’m glad I read it. I would give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.