Title: The Best Worst Dog I Ever Had
Author: Larry Ehrhorn
Publisher: Madijean Press
ISBN: 979-8387979545
Hardcover ISBN: 979-8397414807
eBook ISBN: 978-1088090220
Genre: Pets, Biography
Availability: Paperback, Hardcover, and eBook
Language: English
Paperback: 298 pages
Hardcover: 298 pages
Item Weight: 1.14 pounds
Dimensions: 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches
“A charming and humorous partly true story about a couple and their five “worst” dogs spanning over 50 years.” Highly recommend ★★★★★ – Explore Authors Magazine
Full Review:
“The only, absolute and best friend a man has, in this selfish world, the only one that will not betray or deny him, is his dog.”
This phrase was used by King Frederick II of Prussia prior to his death in 1786. And from that moment on, Dogs became man’s best friend.
And since those words were uttered, no matter how stinky, shy, goofy, or lovely they were, man would always adore dog and that quote continues to ring true, up until the heartbreaking end in Larry Ehrhorn’s The Best Worst Dog I Ever Had.
The novel begins with a passage about the Rainbow Bridge, which is a place where all animals go when they pass away. The passage is one of the most beautiful quotes that I could ever read, especially as a pet owner but it also sets the tone for the novel, as the Rainbow Bridge plays an important role in this story.
We are shown the Twelve Axioms All Dogs Inherit at Birth, which is very much worth the read for how charming and fitting the axioms are to our four-legged companions. In the novel, our narrator introduces us to the incident that would light a spark in his lifelong bond with dogs. In chapter one, we are introduced to four dogs.
The ever-mysterious Ginger and Suzie, the one-night dog in Pepper, the protective show dog in Miserable Dexter, and the simple housedog in Zsa-zsa, with each one lighting a torch down the path of joy and sadness that our narrator, Larry, will go through throughout the next 50 years of his life as we’re introduced to the five dogs that will walk this path beside him.
During that walk with each of the five dogs, we will see their point of view from the moment the narrator meets them until the moment they part ways.
The author does an amazing job of getting the reader attached to each dog during their time in the spotlight. From giving their side of events in a chapter after we see the narrator and his girlfriend/wife bond and cherish them both during the good and bad times, often left me teary-eyed by the time they crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
The author also does a great job of giving us a view into his relationships with the various people that come and go within his life, with Becky, the narrator’s girlfriend and then wife being the mainstay and often making me laugh with her humor. In the story, there are points when the narrator references the phrase that would become the title of this book to each pet that eventually, which I came to dread as I knew my time with these goofy but loveable little guys was coming to an end.
I must give a warning to those who have had/have pets and lost them. This novel will constantly tug at those heartstrings until you eventually cry. It is here that I give a special shoutout to Macbeth, who actually reduced me to tears when he crossed the bridge, which set the tone for the rest of the story.
The Best Worst Dog I Ever Had reads like a love letter from the author to his pets and it shows in his heartfelt writing as he shares their individual stories.
This is very well written and a pretty quick read for the readers out there. The Best Worst Dog Ever will make you either want a dog or make you want to hug your dog. And for that, this heartfelt novel earns a strong recommendation from me. ★★★★★ – Elijah B. (Explore Authors Magazine)