Book Review: Goodbye, Beloved Dog by Elli H. Radinger

 

Note: The title of this book has been translated into English by me for the reading comprehension of this blog's viewers as the book itself isn't available in English (yet). The original title reads Abscheid von geliebten Hund.

I've read quite a few of Radinger's non-fictions before, so here's another one. 

This book is somewhat of a followup to The Wisdom of Old Dogs by the same author. There, she discussed living with an older dog and the various situations that come with that, as well as some lessons we can learn from our old pooches. Here, we delve into what ultimately follows: having to say goodbye. 

This book isn't entirely what I was expecting, that being a book mostly dedicated to teaching how to cope with loss of one's canine friend. Most of Radinger's other books I've read are largely educational, though they do have a very personal tone to it where Radinger highlights her own (or her reader's) experiences.

This book however is mostly dedicated to Radinger's personal loss of her dog Shira (who was also mentioned frequently in The Wisdom of Old Dogs). There's definitely more helpful and educational sections spread throughout as well, but the book is largely just about Radinger writing about and processing her personal loss. And while that's not what I came looking for going into this book, I can 100% respect if for that. 

I've never lost a dog before, however I have recently lost my cat Jimmy and the loss was immense, so I can really relate to her feeling utterly lost and trying to find various ways to cope with Shira's loss. And if writing and publishing this book is another one of those ways, so be it. I was genuinely interested and rooting for Radinger here, even if the book isn't entirely what I was expecting. It's very heartfelt and you truly do realize how much Radinger loved her Shira throughout all this. And the book does have a cautiously optimistic ending. She still misses Shira immensely, however she's also trying to find a way to move on by adopting a rescue pup.

Like I said before, there's also definitely brief sections dedicated to more educational and helpful things such as tips for what to do with your pet after death, so if you're looking for those they also are present, it's just not the main focus, but that's okay by me. This is clearly a very personal passion project from the author written out of grief and I respect it for that.

Rating: 4/5