Marley and Me by John Grogan (Digital)

I recently spent 3 weeks with a friend who had knee replacement surgery. She had a copy of "Marley and Me" at her house, and I took it to the hospital with me to read while she was in surgery and the recovery room. I almost forgot why I was there, I was so engrossed in the book!

After retiring from a professional career, I found myself standing in the lobby of a small, rural, Texas veterinary practice uttering something like, "Do you need anyone?" Five days later I started part-time work there, and began making observations about people and their pets and recording humorous anecdotes that happen in the practice (like the lady that wanted some Valium to give her labs before she took them out to exercise).

In time I began to wonder if pets somehow pick us, rather than the other way around. "Marley and Me" concretely reinforces this suspicion. Who else but the Grogans would have given this wonderful, crazy dog such unconditional acceptance throughout an entire lifetime of antics that would have driven most people to the brink. As much as I love dogs, "Marley" would not have lasted in my household.

"Marley" found himself the perfect home and the Grogan's were rewarded in many different ways for their love, patience (to an infinite degree) and devotion to the end. The book is beautifully written, is quite humorous, and brings you to tears in the end. This book is a pet lover's delight.