Edward Grinnan

If this memoir about the dogs in this author's life reads like a Guideposts article, it's because the author is Guidepost's editor-in-chief. Golden retriever Millie is central to the memoir, but the author also weaves in stories about all the dogs that preceded her. Grinnan is an alcoholic, and dogs have helped keep him on the road to recovery for several decades. Dogs have also been the glue in his marriage to singer/actress Julee Cruise.

This would be a great book to share with the dog-lovers in your life. In fact, that's how I came to read it. My dog's best friend's “mom” shared it with me. Music fans get the added bonus of references to Cruise's career, such as the two years she toured with the B-52s and her collaboration with David Lynch. Make sure you have a box of tissues on hand while you read. The downside of letting a dog into your life and heart is that a dog's lifespan is much shorter than a human's, and Grinnan has outlived quite a few dogs.… (mere)

So far I am not liking this book too much. Edward Grinnan, the editor of Guideposts Magazine, seems to have trouble figuring out what he wants this book to be- an autobiography, a rehashing of Guideposts stories, or a self help book that moralizes at the reader. If he stuck w/just an autobiography, it might be better. But as another reviewer posted, I too find it disappointing as a revelation of the spiritual life of the editor. This book seems to be a mishmash of pop psychology, intertwined w/his addiction story and snippets of Guideposts stories.


UPDATE: Finally finished this book. My impression hasn't changed. Rambling, long winded and hard to follow. I can't believe Grinnan went to Yale and got a degree in play writing. He has a hard time staying focused on one topic, going off on too many tangents. And he uses too many annoying AA cliches. It's as though no one edited his writing.(How ironic is that- Grinnan is himself an editor) As I noted earlier, it would have been a much better book if he'd stuck w/an autobiography. And if he got himself a ruthless editor instead of those yes men he thanks in the acknowledgements.

… (mere)