Book info

• Title Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog
• Author Emily Dean
• Year 2019
• Genre Memoir

Growing up with the Deans was a fabulous training ground for many things: ignoring unpaid bills, being the most entertaining guest at dinner, deconstructing poetry. It was never home for the dog Emily craved. Emily shared the lively chaos with her beloved older sister Rachael, her rock. Over the years the sisters bond grew ever closer. As Rachael went on to have the cosy family and treasured dog, Giggle, Emily threw herself into unsettled adventure - dog ownership remaining a distant dream. Then, tragically, Rachael is diagnosed with cancer. In just three devastating years Emily loses not only her sister but both her parents as well. This is the funny heart-breaking, wonderfully told story of how Emily discovers that it is possible to overcome the worst that life can throw at you, that it's never too late to make peace with your past, and that the right time is only ever now, as she finally starts again with her very own dog - the adorable Shih-tzu named Raymond.

Thoughts

Oh lovely Emily Dean. I used to listen to the Frank Skinner show regularly and I remember the weeks she took off when her sister died, such a sad and difficult time. But I stopped listening and had only vaguely been aware of what happened after that. This book is incredibly honest and detailed, a look at how grief can affect you in many different ways and some ways to try and deal with it. Emily doesn’t seem to have had a traditional upbringing which makes it kind of hard to relate to, but most can relate to imposter syndrome and feeling out of sorts in your own skin. Great book, well written, tragic tale but somehow uplifting at the same time.

Rating: 5 / 5