Charlie: A Love Story by Barbara Lampert

Charlie: A Love Story by Barbara Lampert
Published By: Langdon Street Press (a division of Hillcrest Publishing Group, Inc.)
Release Date: January 16, 2012
Format: Paperback - 206 pages / Kindle - 2667 KB / Nook - 2 MB
ISBN: 1936782251
ASIN: B007BDLRJM
Genre: Memoirs / Dogs


About The Author:

Barbara Lampert is a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in relationships. She's been in private practice in Brentwood, California for over twenty years. She considers her work a calling and loves what she does. She has a doctorate in medical sociology and two master's degrees - one in psychology and one in sociology. Barbara has adored dogs her whole life. They're her passion! She notes that for a lot of people, their dogs are their best friends. She loves helping people know that's ok - that a soul-satisfying relationship may be found with any being and needs to be treasured. Besides her love of dogs, Barbara is an avid gardener and finds herself gardening in much of her spare time. She sees her garden as a work of art. She loves being in nature - the miracle of growth, the ever-changing landscape, its beauty. Today Barbara lives happily in Malibu, California with her husband David (married twenty-eight years!) and their six-year-old Golden Retriever, Harry. Barbara hopes that Charlie: A Love Story will be a tribute not only to a magnificent dog but to all dogs everywhere.


AUTHOR WEBSITE
GOODREADS
Barbara Lampert's Charlie: A Love Story Virtual Book Tour Page On Pump Up Your Book!


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Disclaimer: At the request of the author, publisher and Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours, a Paperback edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.

Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, April 20, 2012, in association with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours, author Barbara Lampert participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/04/author-guest-post-barbara-lampert.html


Book Description:

Charlie: A Love Story tells of the beautiful love between Charlie, a Golden Retriever, and the author, Barbara Lampert. It takes place in Malibu, California. When Charlie turned eleven years old and started having some health problems, a journal Barbara was keeping about her garden quickly became mostly about  Charlie. Charlie: A Love Story is an intimate look at an incredible connection between a canine and a human. And as a psychotherapist who specializes in relationships, Barbara brings that sensibility and understanding to Charlie's story as well. Charlie was Barbara's loyal confidante and best friend. He was indomitable, had a zest for life and an uncanny emotional intelligence. Charlie: A Love Story is about devotion, joy, loss, and renewal, about never giving up or giving in. But mostly it's about an extraordinary dog and an extraordinary relationship.


My Book Review:


Charlie: A Love Story is a beautifully written memoir about a loving relationship between Charlie, a Golden Retriever and his owner, author Barbara Lampert. The memoir is written in a journal style, Barbara had been keeping a journal about her garden, when at the age of eleven, Charlie started having some health issues, and gradually the journal entries became mostly about him. The journal entries span from June 13, 2001 through November 14, 2003, which document the final years of Charlie's life. In the journal entries, Barbara describes the ups and downs with Charlie's health issues, and the loving relationship they shared along with her husband David, and their other dogs and cat. She also provides the reader with wonderful descriptions of her garden, it would make any gardener green with envy. Throughout the book, Barbara provides flashbacks of when Charlie was a pup, and also shares warmhearted stories about her other dogs. Interspersed are wonderful pictures of Charlie and the other dogs, in addition to Barbara's wonderful garden. Barbara provides a final journal entry in her epilogue dated December 30, 2008, in which she eloquently describes how she still thinks fondly of her Charlie, and how his memories and spirit still live with her five years after his death.

Barbara described Charlie as "the emotional core of their family." He was wise beyond his years, a cuddly teddy bear with a big heart. As the years went by, their bond grew stronger, they became more and more attached to each other. There is no better love than the unconditional love that a pet can provide to their owner, and to have it returned. Charlie was a blessing sent to Barbara and her family, "A blessing is something that makes us a more complete human being." As a dog lover and proud owner of a fourteen year old female Bichon Frise, Bubby; a fourteen year old female Toy Poodle, Ginger; and a three year old boy Bichon Frise (and the love of my life) Junior, this wonderful memoir hit all the emotional chords: I laughed, smiled and cried, but most of all I completely related to how Barbara feels about her "kids," because I feel the exact same way towards my own "kids." Thank you Barbara for sharing Charlie with us, yes, he was a blessing.

Charlie: A Love Story is a testament to the beautiful relationship that people can have with their pets, whether it is a dog, cat, rabbit, etc. The unconditional love that a pet gives to their owner is so clearly shown in the depths of their eyes, the swish of their tails, the sloppy kisses and lively barks/meows ... could another love be so pure? This wonderful story is a must for all pet owners, it's a beautiful reminder that we should cherish the loving relationships that we have with our pets.


RATING: 5 STARS *****