Cherished

Abercrombie (writing, Univ. of California-Los Angeles), after realizing that little existed to comfort those grieving over the loss of their furry loved ones, solicited stories from 21 well-known authors to celebrate and lament the all-too-short lives of our companion animals. Contributors include Anne Lamott, Carolyn See, and Jane Smiley. Lamott writes of Sadie, a black Lab that comforted her and her son through life's trials and tribulations. See and her family take in a dog, believed to be half-coyote, and love it unconditionally despite its wild ways. Smiley relates her deep love for her horse, Mr. T, and the pain of losing it too early from heart complications. Each story relates the pivotal role animals have in our lives and the inevitable loss inherent in loving creatures whose life span is far shorter than ours. Note that all royalties from the book's sale go to the Best Friends Animal Society (www.bestfriends.org), an organization whose mission is "to bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets."