- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: JR Books Ltd (25 April 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1906217939
- ISBN-13: 978-1906217938
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.6 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 172,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In this remarkable and much needed book, agony aunt Virginia Ironside recounts some of the experiences of those of us – from ordinary people today to Freud and Sir Walter Scott – who have loved, and lost, a pet, and lifts the taboo that can cause enormous distress to grieving pet owners. It’s not odd, crazy or maladjusted to cry and feel utterly lost when a pet dies. Often that pet has been a close friend – uncritical, loyal and devoted. It never answered back, has played in a way that friends wouldn’t, and has never left home like children do. There is no need to keep grief hidden or wonder why we can’t immediately ‘replace’ our dead pet with another. Feelings deserve understanding and respect. Goodbye, Dear Friend acknowledges both the extent and depth of grief of a pet. Based on an avalanche of letters about pet loss on her problem pages, Virginia Ironside takes us through the process of grieving to putting a pet to sleep, and from taking comfort in memorials to whether there is a ‘pet heaven’, concluding with useful contacts. Goodbye, Dear Friend is an essential book for every pet owner, young or old, and will bring great comfort and solace at a time when one feels most alone. Virginia Ironside has been a journalist all her life. She was a rock columnist for the Daily Mail in the 'sixties, a television reviewer and a columnist for teenage magazines. She has written several novels and children's books, the latest being No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club – Diary of a Sixtieth Year. She has been a problem page editor at Woman and the Sunday Mirror for many years and now has a regular column in the Independent and the Oldie.
About the Author
Virginia Ironside has been a journalist all her life. She was a rock columnist for the Daily Mail in the 'sixties, a television reviewer and a columnist for teenage magazines. She has written several novels and children's books, the latest being No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club - Diary of a Sixtieth Year. She has been a problem page editor at Woman and the Sunday Mirror for many years and now has a regular column in the Independent and the Oldie.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
When you choose a pet to share your life, you're getting companionship, love, devotion and unswerving loyalty. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
When you choose a pet to share your life, you're getting companionship, love, devotion and unswerving loyalty. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
76 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
After the death of my cat of 15 years I was devastated, yet few people seemed to understand my grief. This book helped me realise that I was not going out of my mind & that my feelings were both valid & normal. It has sections explaining the grieving process and the practicalities of dealing with the death of a pet, alongside some often moving poetry & accounts of the experiences of others. My one criticism is that it sometimes seems to be aimed at dog owners. However, this is one of the few British books available on pet bereavement (amongst a plethora of American titles!), which made it easy to relate to from a cultural perspective. I would definitely recommend this book to other bereaved pet owners, so that they too can see that many people DO understand their grief and have been able to overcome this in their own time.
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After having to say goodnight to my gorgeus little girl, Bella, (a nearly 14 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)four weeks ago I was completely unprepared for the total despair, and almost paralysing grief that I felt, and was desperate for some comfort that even my husband could not give me, despite his best efforts. This book put into words the things I coudn't say and reassured me that I was not the only one to feel this way and that eventually I would begin to feel a little better. I haven't managed to get through a day without tears yet but it is slowly getting less painful and I have also had try to keep my other Cavalier going as long as physically possible even though he is 15 next week and deteriorating rapidly. This is a lovely book although, be warned, you will need an enormous box of tissues close at hand to read it, especially the poems. Compared to another book that I bought by an American author I felt that I could relate better to this book as it was more "down to earth" but still sensitive at the same time. I do feel that it is geared more towards the dog owner but I am sure it would still be comforting to other pet owners also.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to anyone reading this review who has also recently lost their own "little shadow" and dear companion.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to anyone reading this review who has also recently lost their own "little shadow" and dear companion.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having suddenly had to have my dear cat put to sleep last year, I was and still am devastated. I felt terrible for having to make the decision to let her go. Since then, only my husband and my vet truly recognise my grief. My boss at the time more or less told me to pull myself together. This book however has shown me that my grief is not weird or abnormal and that thousands of bereaved pet owners suffer on a daily basis, often sinking into deep depression and suicidal thoughts. For anyone that is or has struggled to accept or cope with losing a pet, please read this and you'll at least feel you're not alone in your grief.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Pet Loss
After the devasting loss of my beloved cat aged 17 I felt I needed to do some reading to help my own healing. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M A Sherwin
A very English perspective on pet loss-wonderful.
When my elderly Lurcher was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, I was utterly devastated.I did not opt for amputation of her limb, as so often in these cases, the cancer has spread before... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Oakleaf
Pet Berevement
This book is beautiful with poems and stories. I dont know what i was expecting, something hopefully to ease the pain of the loss of our pet, this book certainly is helping me come... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Playtwinklefairy
Goodbye dear friend
What a wonderful, touching book and really helpful. Having recently had to euthanize my 3 1/2 year old dog (due to illness) and struggling to come to terms with it, this book... Read more
Published on 21 July 2009 by J Shenton
Goodbye Dear Friend: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Pet
I bought this book to send to a friend in New Zealand who had just lost her much loved pet dog. It seemed such a coincidence to read a review in a National newspaper just a couple... Read more
Published on 25 May 2009 by J. Moscrop
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