From one of the world's great storytellers and author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, this is a tender, motley and exquisitely written memoir about dogs, love and nature.
'There's a madman dog beside me, and the hounds of memory ahead of us. It's love and beasts and wild mistakes, and regret, but never to change things . . .'
What happens when the Zusaks open their family home to three big, wild, pound-hardened dogs - Reuben, a wolf at your door with a hacksaw; Archer, blond, beautiful, deadly; and the rancorously smiling Frosty, who walks like a rolling thunderstorm?
The answer can only be chaos: there are street fights, park fights, public shamings, property trashing, bodily injuries, stomach pumping, purest comedy, shocking tragedy, and carnage that needs to be seen to be believed . . . not to mention the odd police visit at some ungodly hour of the morning.
There is a reckoning of shortcomings and failure, a strengthening of will, but most important of all, an explosion of love - and the joy and recognition of family.
Three Wild Dogs (and the truth) is the human need for both connection and disorder; but it's also a love letter to the animals who bring hilarity and beauty - but also the visceral truth of the natural world - straight to our doors and into our lives, and change us forever.
'There's a madman dog beside me, and the hounds of memory ahead of us. It's love and beasts and wild mistakes, and regret, but never to change things . . .'
What happens when the Zusaks open their family home to three big, wild, pound-hardened dogs - Reuben, a wolf at your door with a hacksaw; Archer, blond, beautiful, deadly; and the rancorously smiling Frosty, who walks like a rolling thunderstorm?
The answer can only be chaos: there are street fights, park fights, public shamings, property trashing, bodily injuries, stomach pumping, purest comedy, shocking tragedy, and carnage that needs to be seen to be believed . . . not to mention the odd police visit at some ungodly hour of the morning.
There is a reckoning of shortcomings and failure, a strengthening of will, but most important of all, an explosion of love - and the joy and recognition of family.
Three Wild Dogs (and the truth) is the human need for both connection and disorder; but it's also a love letter to the animals who bring hilarity and beauty - but also the visceral truth of the natural world - straight to our doors and into our lives, and change us forever.
"Heartrending...With a soft heart and a fluid pen, Zusak delivers an elegy for three misfit creatures that will resonate even with those who've never picked up a leash." - Publishers Weekly
:"A self-deprecating tale of dog-ownership mayhem that is sure to win over many a reader." - Kirkus
"Zusak's garrulous style gives appropriate spotlight to his furry subjects (a few cats are involved too), celebrating their indomitable spirits in a convivial, all-but-exasperated tone. [His] innate humor jostles readers throughout, creating a wholly different page-turning experience from the epic nature of his fiction. Dog lovers will surely find a lot to chew on here as Zusak mines for the truth the title intimates that those touched by a dog will all agree: we are changed for having known them." - Booklist (starred review)
:"A self-deprecating tale of dog-ownership mayhem that is sure to win over many a reader." - Kirkus
"Zusak's garrulous style gives appropriate spotlight to his furry subjects (a few cats are involved too), celebrating their indomitable spirits in a convivial, all-but-exasperated tone. [His] innate humor jostles readers throughout, creating a wholly different page-turning experience from the epic nature of his fiction. Dog lovers will surely find a lot to chew on here as Zusak mines for the truth the title intimates that those touched by a dog will all agree: we are changed for having known them." - Booklist (starred review)