3.75 out of 4 stars.
“The intricate bond between people and dogs”
I believe everyone who loves dogs can relate to Caroline Knapp’s story. She was someone at 36 that was looking for something to bring her back to life after hitting some tough terrain. In a “Pack of Two” she lets us into how Lucille, her large mix breed dog, was able to accomplish that. Lucille was able to create a companionship with Caroline after she had lost both her parents, was dealing with sobriety, and ending a long relationship with her boyfriend. Essentially she went through a lonely 18 month period when she felt completely alone. Once Lucille entered that all changed.
What I loved about this book is that it was not just a relationship between Lucille and Caroline. Instead, Knapp introduced us to people and studies she had found out along the road. This included information from psychologists, animal behaviorist, and people just like us that have had dogs their whole lives.
Anyone who is reading this post is familiar with the fact that I love my dog. However, it is not solely based on the fact that she is such a wonderful personality (which she is) but rather what she represents. I picked her up when I was in a place in my life where I needed something that brought me joy. My mother had been sick for 5 years at that point and I was working a 40 + hour a week job with a long commute. I had no real sunshine but just a lot of forced interactions. Of course, “finding joy” could seem like something that is a mirage and could take forever to really know what that means. Wrong. Animals and more specifically dogs have ALWAYS made me feel softer, lighter, and more relaxed. In my eyes, those aspects all bring joy. I feel so free knowing that I do not have to stress that I will be alone in life if I do not find a husband because I know that I will never truly be by myself if I have the never ending love from my dog(s). Of course the more love in life the better but just realizing that these wonderful creatures exist takes a huge weight off my shoulder that there are ways to make life more fulfilling.
A great short and quick read that will remind you why dog lovers can all be SUCH different people but they have one huge bond within all of them and that is the appreciation for dogs.
