Like the title suggests, this book of poetry is a memoir about the author’s journey into owning multiple dogs and what life is like with them. It is organized chronologically, so it is clear to see the progression of her growth over time. Becoming a dog mom to multiple dogs began as a grief response but blossomed into a new purpose. Adopting dogs that were often abused gave her a mission to love them back to health.
Barth’s honesty is compelling. Her poems are approachable and grounded in real events and images. This is not a poetry book that challenges you to think about philosophy or anything too deep. It is more about dog adoption and what that taught the writer. With several poems about the dogs themselves, the reader gets to fall in love with them as well. The journey of love and loss, healing and wholeness, is fully relatable and admirable.
This is a short book (just 35 pages) and all the poems are relatively short free verse. It would be a welcome read for animal lovers especially dog lovers. If you love Chihuahuas, this is a must read.
About the Author
Barbara Barth turned to writing and adopting dogs to heal after the loss of her husband in 2008. Known as Writer With Dogs over the years, she now calls herself Chihuahua Mama and lives with six demanding Chihuahuas in a charming small town forty miles from Atlanta. She is Literary Arts Chair on the Board of her local art center. Inspired by the many talented artists she meets Barth started painting. Her whimsical style embraces ladies, gardens, critters, and of course cats and dogs.
Find her online at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarabarthstudio/
Rebecca J Whitman 
Thank you for the lovely review and sharing Stokie’s story. It brought tears. So sweet and so much love. Barbara
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