Nonfiction

Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter

Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-23 07:21:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：E.B. Bartels
  • ISBN：0358212332
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Tyler G。 Warne ，

E。B。 Bartels gives us this collection of stories sharing some of the most important events in people's lives。 All people have a relationship with animals。 Whether they are in their homes or in nature。 Each chapter will share the effects of seeing animals die， either falling out of a fishbowl or witnessing a cat being run down by a car。 We experience grief。 Bartels offers a positive approach by creating relationships with the animals as if one word characterizes an animal's importance to carry us E。B。 Bartels gives us this collection of stories sharing some of the most important events in people's lives。 All people have a relationship with animals。 Whether they are in their homes or in nature。 Each chapter will share the effects of seeing animals die， either falling out of a fishbowl or witnessing a cat being run down by a car。 We experience grief。 Bartels offers a positive approach by creating relationships with the animals as if one word characterizes an animal's importance to carry us through。 We expect changes in good ways。 Good Grief gives us the reality of suffering animals' fate， yet we can reflect on passing through sharing。Though our experiences with pets happen in their presence， we express our dearest remembrances after their passing。 Good Grief will help people realize the natural events of living and dying outside the human realm。 The ideas present subjectivity and forge a relationship with a positive theme。 。。。more

Kayla Smith ，

E。B。 Bartels’ nonfiction book about the ways humans react to the death of their pets is more than just a sociological study。 It’s also a deeply personal look inward for the author and a reflection on her own response to the end of her former pets’ lives。 Bartels’ love for animals is evident in every paragraph， and all animal lovers will relate to her as a narrator。 As a foster parent to multiple senior dogs， I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for and handling the end of beloved pets’ lives， so I E。B。 Bartels’ nonfiction book about the ways humans react to the death of their pets is more than just a sociological study。 It’s also a deeply personal look inward for the author and a reflection on her own response to the end of her former pets’ lives。 Bartels’ love for animals is evident in every paragraph， and all animal lovers will relate to her as a narrator。 As a foster parent to multiple senior dogs， I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for and handling the end of beloved pets’ lives， so I knew I would relate deeply to this book and the subject matter。 But I did NOT know that I would find myself in tears a half-dozen times as I read， relating to every source Bartels interviewed， and viscerally feeling every emotion with them。 The research that went into the creation of this novel is remarkable， and the way in which Bartels weaves her personal experiences with those of vets， friends， psychologists， religious leaders， scientists， and dozens of others is seamless。 I recommend this book for anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet， wondered if their emotional response to their pet loss was “normal，” been curious about the lavish arrangements the rich make for their pets， or wondered anything else about what happens when pets leave us （from cloning， to taxidermy， to what happens to service dogs when they retire）。 Bartels’ tone is that of a good-humored friend telling you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about pets and their deaths， and everything you didn’t know yet that you were curious about。 I’m so glad this book exists。 Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC E-book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Kate ，

A lovely， well-researched and very accessible book。 I was fascinated by the history of humans grieving our pets， and loved the personal anecdotes from the author's childhood。 Much of it really hits home。 Personally， I've given up on pet ownership after a particularly upsetting incident involving gerbils suddenly turning on each other in the 5th grade， and adopted peacocks that I suspect became dinner for our local coyotes。。。but perhaps it's time to try again。 Will also be buying it for a friend A lovely， well-researched and very accessible book。 I was fascinated by the history of humans grieving our pets， and loved the personal anecdotes from the author's childhood。 Much of it really hits home。 Personally， I've given up on pet ownership after a particularly upsetting incident involving gerbils suddenly turning on each other in the 5th grade， and adopted peacocks that I suspect became dinner for our local coyotes。。。but perhaps it's time to try again。 Will also be buying it for a friend whose beloved border collie has recently passed。 Beautifully written。 。。。more

Kristen ，

I received this book in a book giveaway from Goodreads， and I’m so glad I did！I can’t believe how much I loved this book！ I don’t have any pets， nor have I ever exactly had to grieve the loss of any animals I loved— The inevitable grief being a major reason I don’t have a pet and won’t allow my children one。 But this book is so much more than a guidebook for grieving…Bartels is an amazingly talented writer。 She has found a way to weave stories of love， joy， and sadness into truths about life and I received this book in a book giveaway from Goodreads， and I’m so glad I did！I can’t believe how much I loved this book！ I don’t have any pets， nor have I ever exactly had to grieve the loss of any animals I loved— The inevitable grief being a major reason I don’t have a pet and won’t allow my children one。 But this book is so much more than a guidebook for grieving…Bartels is an amazingly talented writer。 She has found a way to weave stories of love， joy， and sadness into truths about life and humanity。 She has researched how people have grieved their pets over the course of history， and she explores all the ways animals （pets） are used in our world today。 It’s just plain interesting， as well as heartwarming。Highly recommend。 。。。more

Greg ，

“I’ve said that grief over pets is a disenfranchised grief; it’s a loss that we don’t talk about as openly as， say， losing your parents or grandparents。 Is that， then， what makes people， even other pet lovers， uncomfortable with those who mourn so freely and buldly？”What a beautiful and darkly funny tribute to our love of pets， and an affirmation of deep sadness we feel when they are gone。 I’m giving a copy of this book to every pet owner I know。

Trace Nichols ，

You think you are an emotional mess。。。 that you feel too much for your animal family members？ You are not alone。 You are not alone。 "With great love， comes great grief。" This book can make you feel you're suffering has been felt by many。。。 you are not alone。 With some good historical and cultural background on raising pets to ways we handle their deaths， this book also contains enough lighthearted content to keep it from dragging you down。 Its actually quite educational as well as comforting。 You think you are an emotional mess。。。 that you feel too much for your animal family members？ You are not alone。 You are not alone。 "With great love， comes great grief。" This book can make you feel you're suffering has been felt by many。。。 you are not alone。 With some good historical and cultural background on raising pets to ways we handle their deaths， this book also contains enough lighthearted content to keep it from dragging you down。 Its actually quite educational as well as comforting。 。。。more

Susan ，

8/12/2022: You are one of our Giveaways lucky winners！ You will soon receive a free copy of Good Grief: On Loving Pets， Here and Hereafter in the mail。 If you have further questions， please contact William Morrow， who listed this book for giveaway。

Mary Conopa ，

I searched 2 hours for a book that would help me through the grieving process the day after losing my dog。 And this was the only one I could find specifically on "pet loss" grief。 This book carried me from the moment I lost my friend a couple of weeks ago through today， when I was on my way to spread his ashes in our favorite spot。 I cant thank the author enough for doing the research and providing a "community" and validation at just the right time when I needed it the most。 I searched 2 hours for a book that would help me through the grieving process the day after losing my dog。 And this was the only one I could find specifically on "pet loss" grief。 This book carried me from the moment I lost my friend a couple of weeks ago through today， when I was on my way to spread his ashes in our favorite spot。 I cant thank the author enough for doing the research and providing a "community" and validation at just the right time when I needed it the most。 。。。more

ASHLEY ，

My boyfriend and I recently （April 19th 2022） lost our American Pitbull Terrier Kapone so when I seen the giveaway for this book I entered and won。 Such a heartfelt book， full of raw， real and natural emotions。 The book made me feel better about the sadness and heartbreak that I feel/felt over losing Kapone and in 2018 my cat Prince。 It was also interesting to learn all of the information that the author shared from her research。 I was worried I wouldn't be able to handle reading the book quite My boyfriend and I recently （April 19th 2022） lost our American Pitbull Terrier Kapone so when I seen the giveaway for this book I entered and won。 Such a heartfelt book， full of raw， real and natural emotions。 The book made me feel better about the sadness and heartbreak that I feel/felt over losing Kapone and in 2018 my cat Prince。 It was also interesting to learn all of the information that the author shared from her research。 I was worried I wouldn't be able to handle reading the book quite yet but reading the book soothed me a little and let me know that most of us pet owners all know and have these feelings when a pet passes。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

I admit that I wasn't sure what I expected of this but it more than delivered in terms of fascinating information about how different cultures across time have coped with the death of pets （or， as some like to term them， animal companions）。 What made it a wonderful read， however， were Bartel's stories of her own pets- her fish， her birds， and so on。 And the public figures， such as Mariah Carey and Mozart （Mozart！） who cared so much about their pets that they made special memorials for them。 It's I admit that I wasn't sure what I expected of this but it more than delivered in terms of fascinating information about how different cultures across time have coped with the death of pets （or， as some like to term them， animal companions）。 What made it a wonderful read， however， were Bartel's stories of her own pets- her fish， her birds， and so on。 And the public figures， such as Mariah Carey and Mozart （Mozart！） who cared so much about their pets that they made special memorials for them。 It's a lovely book that careens wonderfully between the educational and the emotional。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 If you're an animal lover， you'll no doubt find yourself nodding in recognition and feeling your heartstrings being tugged。 。。。more

Judy ，

Thanks to Vincent Shiron and Harper Collins Publishers INC for sending me this good reads give away。 It had its moments but I didn't feel that E。 B。 Bartels had enough experience with animal deaths to give the full effects of wide spread animal loss grieving。 She still made some valid observations but very limited。 Thanks to Vincent Shiron and Harper Collins Publishers INC for sending me this good reads give away。 It had its moments but I didn't feel that E。 B。 Bartels had enough experience with animal deaths to give the full effects of wide spread animal loss grieving。 She still made some valid observations but very limited。 。。。more

Sharon Huether ，

The author grew up with a mother that tried to shield her from the grief of losing a pet。Finally she relented to let her daughter have a fish and them more fist。 Then after they died she was allowed to have a bird， in time it also died， plus a turtle that just left on it's own。 She tell how people bury their pets and pet cemeteries。 How people mummifie the stuff their pets 。Her friend Mari got a cat that was kind of wild acting，。。。when Meri's mother had cancer the cat would not leave her bed。Dog The author grew up with a mother that tried to shield her from the grief of losing a pet。Finally she relented to let her daughter have a fish and them more fist。 Then after they died she was allowed to have a bird， in time it also died， plus a turtle that just left on it's own。 She tell how people bury their pets and pet cemeteries。 How people mummifie the stuff their pets 。Her friend Mari got a cat that was kind of wild acting，。。。when Meri's mother had cancer the cat would not leave her bed。Dogs can mourn their owners when they died。 They usually sit in one place waiting for their master to return During the Corona virus many pets were orphaned。 The groups wags and whickers adopted many of them and found new homes for them too。I won this free ARC book form Marina Books 。。。more

Laura Gessert ，

If I could I would give this a hundred stars 。 What a heartfelt book so full of loving tributes to the power of animals both pets and working in our lives 。 Well written and jam packed with interesting anecdotes and personal memories from the author ‘s own pet experiences 。Though the book is about the loss of pets it is much more about what we find in the power of our love of animals … the power to live 。 I plan to buy many copies for friends and the little libraries in my community 。Thank you N If I could I would give this a hundred stars 。 What a heartfelt book so full of loving tributes to the power of animals both pets and working in our lives 。 Well written and jam packed with interesting anecdotes and personal memories from the author ‘s own pet experiences 。Though the book is about the loss of pets it is much more about what we find in the power of our love of animals … the power to live 。 I plan to buy many copies for friends and the little libraries in my community 。Thank you Net Galley for the honor to review this book and thank you to the author by making the world a better place by writing it 。 。。。more

Cozy Reviews ，

My profound thanks to the publisher， Net Galley and to the author for this wonderful book。 Having lost a 21 year old and 19 year old beloved cat companions I was interested in reading this book about pet grief。 Our culture does not recognize pet grief and most of us suffer in silence。 The author brings the grieving process for our companions to the surface and has wonderful insights here to coping with pet loss grief。 The sections on the history of pet loss and rituals was informative and interr My profound thanks to the publisher， Net Galley and to the author for this wonderful book。 Having lost a 21 year old and 19 year old beloved cat companions I was interested in reading this book about pet grief。 Our culture does not recognize pet grief and most of us suffer in silence。 The author brings the grieving process for our companions to the surface and has wonderful insights here to coping with pet loss grief。 The sections on the history of pet loss and rituals was informative and interresting to the subject。 I found this a remarkable body of work of pet grief and will recommend it to friends in the future。 This book will lift your spirits and prove that you are not alone in grieving your companion animals。 Well done to the author。 。。。more

Chris ，

Thank you for the copy。 I have never read a book like it。 It was nice to read about the variety of ways people honored their deceased pets。

Amy C ，

I laughed， I cried。。。I laughed some more， I BAWLED some more， and I laughed while crying and I thought how lucky "I" am to have loved more than one dog and it made me smile。 This book articulates what every pet owner/parent experiences when grieving their dear friend。 Excellent read for anyone wanting a better understanding of grieving a pet。 I laughed， I cried。。。I laughed some more， I BAWLED some more， and I laughed while crying and I thought how lucky "I" am to have loved more than one dog and it made me smile。 This book articulates what every pet owner/parent experiences when grieving their dear friend。 Excellent read for anyone wanting a better understanding of grieving a pet。 。。。more

Lisa ，

Do not be alarmed， animal lovers。 This charming， soulful， and very funny book is a celebration of the bonds between humans and their pets。 It is a combination of personal essay and meticulously reporting that will be familiar to fans of Helen Macdonald and Sy Montgomery， but it has a scrappy， tail-wagging joie de vivre that is all Bartels’s own。

Karen ，

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I wasn't sure what to expect from this book。 I LOVED it！！！ It's nice to know I'm not alone with grieving for a pet decades after it's death。 There is plenty packed in this book， and it's not depressing！ I think I went through at least 10 tissues while reading this。 If you love your pets， both the deceased ones and live ones， get this book！！！ I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I wasn't sure what to expect from this book。 I LOVED it！！！ It's nice to know I'm not alone with grieving for a pet decades after it's death。 There is plenty packed in this book， and it's not depressing！ I think I went through at least 10 tissues while reading this。 If you love your pets， both the deceased ones and live ones， get this book！！！ 。。。more

Karen Fine DVM ，

Now that this book is arriving， it feels long overdue; how did a book this important not already exist？ The author spans both geography and time as she explores the myriad of ways people have memorialized their animals， allowing precious glimpses into an array of human-animal bonds， including her own。 Even when reading about methods most of us wouldn’t choose ourselves – such as taxidermy， or cloning – it is easy to relate to the feelings behind those decisions; the longing to preserve as much a Now that this book is arriving， it feels long overdue; how did a book this important not already exist？ The author spans both geography and time as she explores the myriad of ways people have memorialized their animals， allowing precious glimpses into an array of human-animal bonds， including her own。 Even when reading about methods most of us wouldn’t choose ourselves – such as taxidermy， or cloning – it is easy to relate to the feelings behind those decisions; the longing to preserve as much as possible of our magical relationships with creatures of other species。 For animal lovers， this book is both enjoyable and necessary， and will reassure the reader that many people love their pets deeply， both during and after the lives they spent with us。 。。。more

Sheena ，

Thank you Francesca from Harper Collins for sending me this book directly！"When we open our hearts to animals， death is the inevitable price。"E。B。 Bartels’ really did her research on this！ I learned a lot about pet death， including how people chose cloning and taxidermy as an option。 *I didn’t know you could clone a pet and that it costs $50k。* I loved how Bartels’ takes us through different traditions and cultures from Egypt， Japan， and America。 I love how people are the same across cultures wh Thank you Francesca from Harper Collins for sending me this book directly！"When we open our hearts to animals， death is the inevitable price。"E。B。 Bartels’ really did her research on this！ I learned a lot about pet death， including how people chose cloning and taxidermy as an option。 *I didn’t know you could clone a pet and that it costs $50k。* I loved how Bartels’ takes us through different traditions and cultures from Egypt， Japan， and America。 I love how people are the same across cultures when it comes to losing a pet even if there are differences in how we deal with them。 Not only did I learn a lot， but we also get to read about Bartels’ experience with loving and losing pets。 You won’t leave this book tear free， specifically if you've lost a pet too but this definitely is very validating。 I recommend this quick yet informative read for any pet or animal lover！ I highlighted quite a few different passages/quotes but the one below really spoke to me as I could relate and when I was going through my own loss - I felt very alone。"Just because an animal is gone， even if its death is long in the past， that doesn't mean that pet isn't part of you。 It doesn't mean that the experience of having that pet didn't profoundly change you， or make your life better， or help you become a stronger， happier person。 And even if it's been six years， thirteen years， a whole lifetime， those animals still deserve to be honored and remembered。"Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book！ I'm happy to have had it sent my way。 。。。more

Joyce ，

256 pages4 starsHaving loved and lost several pets in my long life， I was reluctant to choose this book。 I didn’t want to bring all that grief back to the forefront of my mind。 But I chose it anyway。 To my surprise， it helped soothe the pain of loss。 I kept thinking fondly of the pets I had lost （not without a tear or two）， but I also remembered the good times。 The times we had fun and the unconditional love they provided me。 I still feel sad， but also I’m glad I read the book。 I strongly recomm 256 pages4 starsHaving loved and lost several pets in my long life， I was reluctant to choose this book。 I didn’t want to bring all that grief back to the forefront of my mind。 But I chose it anyway。 To my surprise， it helped soothe the pain of loss。 I kept thinking fondly of the pets I had lost （not without a tear or two）， but I also remembered the good times。 The times we had fun and the unconditional love they provided me。 I still feel sad， but also I’m glad I read the book。 I strongly recommend it。 I want to add that I think my favorite pet cemetery is the one in Japan where the author witnessed the ceremony。 I thought that was beautiful。 The book contains a bibliography for those who want to further explore the subject。 I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins/Mariner Press for forwarding to me a copy of this very informative book for me to read and review。 The opinions expressed here are solely my own。 。。。more

Ann Zhao ，

This review will go live on The Wellesley News in the next few weeks！ I'll update my NetGalley review with the link once it's up。The first time I met E。B。 Bartels ’10， she was guest lecturing in my first year writing class。 I had just gotten the idea for “Dear Wendy” a cool two days prior， having sent my first shaky queries to literary agents for a now-shelved project。 （Yes， I dug up my WRIT 144 syllabus to see exactly when her guest lecture was。）And there E。B。 was， ten years out from Wellesley， This review will go live on The Wellesley News in the next few weeks！ I'll update my NetGalley review with the link once it's up。The first time I met E。B。 Bartels ’10， she was guest lecturing in my first year writing class。 I had just gotten the idea for “Dear Wendy” a cool two days prior， having sent my first shaky queries to literary agents for a now-shelved project。 （Yes， I dug up my WRIT 144 syllabus to see exactly when her guest lecture was。）And there E。B。 was， ten years out from Wellesley， with a whole book deal with HarperCollins， telling our class about how to be better writers。 She literally could not have been cooler。 E。B。 and I have talked a number of times since then， sharing stories of the publishing industry as she’s neared publication。 A year and a half after that guest lecture （that I barely remember）， I’ve finally gotten to read the book in question: “Good Grief: On Loving Pets， Here and Hereafter。” It’s far from my usual tastes — I rarely read nonfiction， and the only pet I’ve ever had was a fish。 And yet， this is one of my favorite reads of the year。Part memoir， part research and wholly filled with both heart and humor， “Good Grief” explores the experience of losing a pet and the human connection it brings。 Across cultures and time， people have mourned their pets in a lot of different ways， and through interviews with experts and regular people， as well as in personal anecdotes， Bartels weaves together tales of dead pets and the humans who grieve them。 I’m not quite sure what I expected going into this book， but it’s oddly fitting that “Good Grief” is what it is。 Bartels has cared for lots of pets over the years， and as we read chapters on how different people grieve their pets， information is sprinkled with anecdotes about all of Bartels’ own dead pets。 From a guinea pig that wouldn’t stop biting to a tortoise who escaped a backyard to Bartels’ two family dogs， stories about all these dead （or not — who knows if the tortoise is actually still kicking it） pets brought me to giggles and to tears and sometimes both。 I particularly felt a sense of connection with a story about a betta fish named Wanda shared by Bartels’ first year triple at Wellesley。 （You might guess already that the fish died， but I’ll save the cause of death for readers of “Good Grief。” All I’ll say is that it felt like a very Wellesley way to die， if that makes any sense。）I had absolutely no idea there were so many ways that people deal with the loss of their pets。 I suppose I knew that you could taxidermy a dog or sneak a dog’s ashes into a person’s coffin， but as I was shown more and more paths a grieving human could take， I felt awed by the diversity of pet mourning possibilities。Now， of course this is a biased review。 I won’t even pretend that it’s not; I know E。B。， after all。 But take this as a recommendation anyway: “Good Grief” is a fantastic read， whether you’re an avid animal enthusiast or haven’t even owned a single fish。 I think I want to get a dog now。“Good Grief” comes out on Aug。 2， 2022。 I received an early copy from the publisher， Mariner Books （an imprint of HarperCollins）， in exchange for an honest review。 Also， if the College doesn’t get E。B。 to do a book signing on campus， I will riot。 。。。more

Tracey ，

I knew when I requested this book that it would be a hard read for me。 I'm nearly at the one year anniversary of the loss of my beloved Savannah， the dog in my profile picture， and while I've been down this road quite a few times throughout my life， for some reason the loss of her has hit so much harder and I've not managed to move past the sharp knife of early grief。 I originally read this book in April， but found I needed to take some space and reread it a month later when I was a bit more pre I knew when I requested this book that it would be a hard read for me。 I'm nearly at the one year anniversary of the loss of my beloved Savannah， the dog in my profile picture， and while I've been down this road quite a few times throughout my life， for some reason the loss of her has hit so much harder and I've not managed to move past the sharp knife of early grief。 I originally read this book in April， but found I needed to take some space and reread it a month later when I was a bit more prepared for what was coming。Bartels takes us on a trip through the lives of her past pets while simultaneously taking us on a current tour of pet cemeteries and memorials of all types in order to discuss and understand the different ways that people have mourned and honored the loss of their companion animals。 It is touching and heartbreaking and a labor of love。 I can see how it might also be comforting to know that others have felt the same way， but in finding myself overwhelmed in my personal grief still， I wasn't quite able to experience that。 In the end， the passion and respect and love of animals shines through， making this an important read for anyone who loves animals。My thanks to Mariner Books， the author， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Tracey ，

Review to come。

Mhughessc ，

"Good Grief: On Loving Pets， Here and Hereafter"， by E。B。 Bartels， is all about the privilege of owning a pet and the heartbreak of losing them。 Bartels is very open and candid about his own pets and the pain he's experienced。 I appreciate his candor， and the reminder of what a wonderful thing it is to love and by loved by an animal。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 "Good Grief: On Loving Pets， Here and Hereafter"， by E。B。 Bartels， is all about the privilege of owning a pet and the heartbreak of losing them。 Bartels is very open and candid about his own pets and the pain he's experienced。 I appreciate his candor， and the reminder of what a wonderful thing it is to love and by loved by an animal。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Jean Duffy ，

I eagerly awaited my ARC copy of Good Grief。 I grew up with much loved dogs and my heart was touched by E。B。's recounting of tales （and tails！） of her childhood pets。 We open our hearts to our animal family members and in turn grieve the passing of each one。 Fascinating and thorough research on topics like mummies and clones kept me flipping the pages。 This book is a enlightening resource for new ways to think about what these dear pets mean to us now and later。 Run to your favorite local bookst I eagerly awaited my ARC copy of Good Grief。 I grew up with much loved dogs and my heart was touched by E。B。's recounting of tales （and tails！） of her childhood pets。 We open our hearts to our animal family members and in turn grieve the passing of each one。 Fascinating and thorough research on topics like mummies and clones kept me flipping the pages。 This book is a enlightening resource for new ways to think about what these dear pets mean to us now and later。 Run to your favorite local bookstore and pre-order！ 。。。more

Kelly Ford ，

This book is such a joy and a comfort to read。 I truly can’t wait until it’s out* because I’m going to give a copy to every single person I know。 For real。* I have a digital copy from NetGalley。

J Earl ，

Good Grief: On Loving Pets， Here and Hereafter， by EB Bartels， is a phenomenal work that every pet owner should read。 It is informative and educational， but more important is that all of that information is for the mental AND emotional well-being of the reader/pet owner。I am， like many pet lovers， a hard griever。 Almost all of the things in this book Bartels is trying to get us to understand and cope with I have experienced: guilt， blame， sadness， anger， everything。 This book didn't just make me Good Grief: On Loving Pets， Here and Hereafter， by EB Bartels， is a phenomenal work that every pet owner should read。 It is informative and educational， but more important is that all of that information is for the mental AND emotional well-being of the reader/pet owner。I am， like many pet lovers， a hard griever。 Almost all of the things in this book Bartels is trying to get us to understand and cope with I have experienced: guilt， blame， sadness， anger， everything。 This book didn't just make me better understand what I can do for my pets but also what I need to do for myself as well。I saw the comparisons with Caitlin Doughty and I think they are accurate。 How we honor our pets in the moment as well as how we honor and remember them going forward is important， yet just as important is our understanding that what is right for me might not be right for you。 And there is nothing wrong with that。 Like a couple she interviews in the book， I have a shelf with ashes， toys， collars， photos， etc。 I know people who simply can't do that， they have their own ways of memorializing their pets。 I probably talk to that shelf as much as I talk to my current pets， and definitely more than I talk to other humans！If this review seems to be as much about me as it is the book， that illustrates the strength of the book。 You will personalize what this book offers you。 While you tear up over some stories， and learn a lot of interesting information， you will also be looking back at your former pets， forward at your current and future pets， and most assuredly at yourself， the thread that connects all of them。 You will likely relive some sad moments but you will come away from it with a better understanding and a lot less guilt。 I highly recommend this for any pet owner， past， present， or future。 Like so many who own multiple pets， one of mine is enjoying her last days。 I have to pick her up because she can't walk well， I have to express her bladder most of the time， but she is alert， attentive， still pays attention to everything around her， and still offers her sly grin。 I am doing my best， she knows it， and this book has helped me to enjoy these moments with less guilt。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more

Dee ，

My sincere thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for sending this eARC right when I so need it （RIP my beloved Dexter cat 😿😿）。 For anyone who is， has or will be coping with pet loss & grief， this book helps。 It was reassuring to know "you're not alone" as humans having been mourning & memorializing their animal companions since the beginning of recorded history。 IT HELPED！ Recommend this fairly quick read highly。 My sincere thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for sending this eARC right when I so need it （RIP my beloved Dexter cat 😿😿）。 For anyone who is， has or will be coping with pet loss & grief， this book helps。 It was reassuring to know "you're not alone" as humans having been mourning & memorializing their animal companions since the beginning of recorded history。 IT HELPED！ Recommend this fairly quick read highly。 。。。more

Elizabeth Good ，

You’ll laugh， you’ll cry， you’ll hug your animal pals closer。 A phenomenal book！