Review: `In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag.' Auden
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2014
Indian born Shiv Verma now lives in the US and is a technology expert and writes other books in that vein: his newest is HOW TO BECOME FINANCIALLY FIT. But he steps away from the business world at this point to offer a book inspired by his older sister Tina who, though a busy woman traveling extensively herself, has grown from being fearful of stray dogs as a child to embracing all stray animals, wherever she lands!In a comfortable introduction Shiv Verma relates the story of how Tina grew into being an advocate for caring for stray animals: this book in many way is an homage to Tina and a more beautiful example of sibling admiration would be difficult to find.But on to the book. This is a series of interconnected short stories about the various stray dogs (and birds!) Tina has invited into her life. They are warm and tender, funny at times, and always a fine reminder that communicating with animals with inner warmth and caring is as powerful a communication technique as vocal commands. We meet Pappy the stray puppy who is irresistible, Zubby, Dabo, Gunda, Smallu, Dobee, Blackie the crow pheasant, Bhoori and her brood of pups, a dear story of coping with an ill new mother and her puppies with a special recipe of milk and spices. Each of these encounters is rich in `human' type responses to emotional situations and only prove that in so many ways, `Dogs are Human'. This is a fine little book, full of compassion and caring - with many lessons we all could learn in our relationships with each other! Grady Harp, April 14