5 stars
| Gorgeous book that is beautifully written, artfully composed, and full of spirit. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness and absolutely loved it. I stumbled across this at the library and picked it put because the cover was so lovely. From the first page, I really enjoyed this book. Coming from a person who also dreamed of being a dog as a child, I really connected with Montgomery’s love of animals. Not just for what they brought to her life, but by their nature of simply being. The thirteen animals, detailed over ten chapters, really come to life on the page with Montgomery’s magical descriptions. You really get a sense of the mystery, beauty, and inspiration that she sees in each animal she met and loved. This is a memoir, so despite the title, it is a very personal account that shows some of the ways various animals touched her life rather than a how-to guide on how to be better. Montgomery discusses many events tied to the animals in her life, some of which are rather dark involving loss. However, the narration nicely depicted how Montgomery got through such difficult times, sometimes in serendipitous ways, and learned something about herself and life in general. The book includes gorgeous black-and-white illustrations of each animal that are whimsical and wonderful. At the end there are also photographs of some of the animals included in the book as well as others. A lovely book, a great read. I am already looking forward to reading more by Montgomery. Goodreads |