I loved this book. Anxiety is not easy to control; finding your own “shelter dog” may be difficult, but once found makes life easier to bear. ( )

Totally unresolved ending, but I enjoyed this story of a 50-year-old woman who is facing various crises and seeks comfort by wearing her dog in a sling.

I started and stopped this book a few times. So much was going on with the pandemic, my health, my family and my brother’s death then the riots. I was overwhelmed. Some days it felt like I was never going to be able to read a book all the way through again. I still feel overwhelmed a lot. But I started the book again and, this time, I didn’t want to put it down.
I understood Judy so much. I envied her and her baby/dog sling. I kept thinking, (still am), I have a shih tzu. Zoey could absolutely fit in one of those slings. There is so much comfort there. Judy is the main character. Her marriage is faltering, her son moving into those teen years where they push you away yet pull you close-occasionally, her best friend is dying and, due to money problems, puppet people, (actual real people- I’ll let you discover more about that), have moved into her home for the time being. I totally understand why Charlotte is in a sling comforting Judy. I don’t know that I would say I had fun reading this. It made me think, (and will continue to for some time), questioning my emotions and mental health with all that is happening now. I like to think, so that was excellent. I like Judy. Flawed Judy who I may resemble some. I think she is stronger than I am. I actually liked most of the characters. Parts of this book had me laughing out loud and one part had me sobbing like a toddler whose balloon flew away. It felt good, comforting, to read this book. Once I started I didn’t want to put it down. This is a book that takes you through life and helps you be a better person. That’s how it worked for me, anyway. I sat a moment after I finished, deep breathing, thinking what a wonderful movie this would be.
Put aside some time. Definitely have some comforting snacks and drinks. A throw and a dog, (or cat), would round things out nicely. Get it all set up, get comfy and then open this book up and dive in. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. A review is appreciated but not required. I voluntarily reviewed this book because I enjoyed it so much. Thank you to Goodreads, Laura Zigman and Harper Collins for providing an uncorrected copy of this book. ( )

Good book, super all over the place though. ( )

Not every book is for every person. I stuck with this because a couple of my bookish friends really liked it. Instead of "wickedly funny and surprisingly tender," I found it slow and tedious. Most of the characters are unpleasant.

This is my fourth Zigman book. The rest were read before I joined Goodreads (or kept track of my ratings in my personal notes), so I don't remember how I felt about them. ( )