A gentle, romantic and reflective story about recently retired Will Williams who is severely grieving after the death of his wife, Rosemary, following a long illness. His two children work abroad and he is alone after the funeral and grows deliberately recluse. A few weeks later he’s puzzled and annoyed when a lady arrives at his home delivering a schnauzer puppy. Called Rosie, it was ordered by … Called Rosie, it was ordered by his wife to be delivered to him after her death, together with a note from her.
His wife had always wanted a dog but Will didn’t like them and had never agreed. But after a very difficult initial spell, he gradually grows to love Rosie and appreciate the companionship his little new friend brings to his life. Rosie also helps him overcome his grief and appreciate more than ever the wise and loving foresight of his wife.
Two travel adventures follow in Switzerland and Austria where doggie-centred dramas ensue – including the injury and loss of Rosie.
All dogs have a small monetary market value and any are worth nothing at all. But to their loving owners they are priceless.
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This book reads as memoir, coming-of-a-“certain”-age” and adventure as Will struggles to accept and honor his wife’s final gift. For the majority of his adult life, recently retired Will Williams considered himself the quieter partner in his marriage. His wife was his focus, his reason for being, although he loves his children and valued his job. He is intelligent and did well for his family financially but it was Rosemary who kept relationships flowing smoothly, among both family and friends. She was the communicator, the more emotional of the pair. Rosemary also knew her husband, Will, well and arranged for a new focus for him once illness had taken her away.
If this book does not grab you and touch you on an emotional level, you need to take a closer look at your own life and values. Check your pulse. It is alternatingly sad and hopeful. At one point it even made me angry. Bill is discovering meanings in the choices and mistakes we make in life. He reminds us that even those with bad results, consequences, have brought us to where we are now, and I tried not to judge him, but I was emotionally involved in the story by the time “the event” happened and I found his actions to be irresponsible, even though he never gave up and did all he could to make the consequences “better.”
Besides Rosie’s story we get a view into Will’s thoughts and emotions. As I said, he is a very intelligent man who seems to have had a tight hold on his emotions as long as his wife was around to handle those issues. He is in danger of falling apart without her. The book is written quite believably, it feels authentic. I appreciated the way his mind wandered and made connections and we saw personal change in him after Rosie’s arrival.
This book is suitable for high school age and above, any gender, and will appeal to animal lovers, especially dog fans.
This was a cute, and thoughtful book of memories, grief, love, what-ifs and finding oneself again. This novel is the story of a man and his best friend Rosie, and how they ended up depending on each other.
After Will Williams wife Rosemary died of a long illness, he can’t seem to get relief from the grief that has set in after her passing. He is newly retired and his children have left home, one living in Germany and the other in New York, and Will has too much time on his hands, and in his isolation starts to retreat a bit from life.
One night there is a knock on his door and there is a lady with a gift for him from his wife, A small schnauzer puppy named Rosie, which his wife Rosemary had arranged, to be brought to him after her death, with a note from her.
He never wanted a dog and wanted to send it back, but promised to keep it for a few days and that was the beginning of a love story between him and this dog, who would help him recover.
This book takes them on adventures, to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scotland. I reminisced, about past and present, people and place as Will does in the story. It is a story that through his musings, we can all get a look into our own lives.
A great read but I will not give more of the story away as it is a journey that we all should take.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd (Matador)
“Dogs don’t bear grudges. They’re trusting, non- judgmental and never place a pile of conditions on whether they love you or not.”
A beautiful, uplifting book about a man whose wife died. Rosemary was his heart and her death has brought about loneliness, and heartache. Rosemary knew this would happen and gives him the gift of a puppy, named Rosie. “At the darkest moment in my life, she lit a candle.”
This story is about their adventures and their love.
I recommend this novel for anyone! The messages in this book are well worth the read!