A beautiful book that’s guaranteed to generate giggles, guffaws, and a few tears…
Karl, a Boykin Spaniel rescue, finds his forever home, one filled with unconditional love and makes some fascinating friends thanks to a compassionate couple who adopt him and give him a loving home in this moving and enchanting memoir by Winters. December 2014, a chocolate-colored dog with golden eyes is found wandering in Arizona’s Yuma Desert. When a kind-hearted man spots the stray, he brings the dog to the Humane Society of Yuma, a rescue facility for animals. The dog is soon put up for adoption, but no one wants it. Soon, he’s transferred to Friends for Life Animal Rescue in Gilbert. The stray’s only wish is for a forever family who will love and cherish him. With no adoption in sight, his picture is published in a local paper. When the author and her husband meet him, they fall in love and bring him home. Thus, Karl begins his adventurous journey. In this poignant, clever book, Winters transforms Karl into a refreshingly mischievous protagonist with a mind of his own: Karl’s goofy personality shines through and through. The threads of Karl’s story, with tales of his rescue, adoption, the time in his forever home, and somber end, are woven satisfactorily and beautifully. Winters uses diary-style entries in Karl’s voice to narrate the story. This first-person narration brings Karl’s day-to-day life to the forefront, like the walks that he takes in the Coconino Forest in Flagstaff with his Daddy, his naps in Mommy’s lap, his sleep-overs at Uncle Marty’s who let him snooze in his bed and feed him more than he needs, his friendship with the beautiful Chloe, the next-door neighbour’s dog, the yummy meal times, the unsavory vet’s visits among others. Karl’s humorous commentary is full of spot-on dialogue that captures his every enthusiastic lick, wag of tail, the doggy antics as well as emotions: “Chloe and I had a wonderful walk to the park this morning. But she won’t let me kiss her. Chloe’s mother told me that Chloe is playing hard to get.” All the personal stories—of adoration, mischief, and pampering—are entertaining. There is laughter and fun, love and devotion, heartbreak and hope, reminding readers, particularly pet-lovers to celebrate their pets for all the joy and love they bring in their lives. The accompanying black-and-white pictures of Karl are a delight to look at, adding to the emotion and somber feeling. Highly amusing and deeply touching.
Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life
Sharon Winters
Pub date July 18, 2022
ISBN 979-8986100401
Price $9.99 (USD) Paperback, $6.99 Kindle edition
