For magazine writer Justine van deer Leun, the joys of city living had lost it’s luster. Looking for change, she decided to pick up and relocate her life in a tiny town called Collelungo, Italy and moves in with a local man she met on vacation just weeks earlier.   As is life, things don’t go as planned and the reader is swept up in a series of mis-adventures.  She finds herself falling out of love with the gardener and in love with Marcus, an abandoned English Pointer that she rescues.

With Marcus by her side, Justine attempts to assimilate in the foreign town and become one of the locals.  This book is a great demonstration how life never goes according to plan. In fact, the first chapter starts out with a wonderful quote, “mistakes aren’t always regrets.” This book is the perfect companion to curl up with on a rainy day (or, heck, even a sunny afternoon) and read about the enormous impact dogs have on our lives.   I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and the author was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about writing the book, and, of course, about Marcus!

What happens when the person you fall in love with isn’t actually a person, but an animal?

Well, for me what happens is that you end up flying across an ocean with that animal in cargo, an empty bank account, and no particular plan for your future — which is simultaneously terrifying and liberating. When I went to Italy to be with my Italian boyfriend, I certainly didn’t expect my great Italian love to be a small, spotted dog; but at a certain point, I had to acknowledge the facts. And once I let go of my expectations and accepted that I was getting a dog, not a grand romance, out of my adventure, my life opened up. Marcus and I had a great time exploring rural Italy together.
How do dogs connect us to the natural world?
At least in my experience, dogs are the link between the average person and the natural world. Sometimes I look at Marcus, sleeping on the couch, and I reflect on how weird it is to have an animal — a creature so other, but so familiar — living within the house, sleeping by the bed, putting her snout on my feet while I type. I think that rare experience of having a real relationship with an animal can make us more empathetic toward the members of all other species — if we let it. In other, more basic ways, Marcus has convinced me to appreciate nature simply by dragging me out to every beach and park and forest around. And I love those moments when we’re alone, just sitting on sand, or in the woods, and I think I’m getting a new perspective on the world by trying to see things her way. It reminds me of a scene in the book The Hidden Life of Dogs when the author, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, lies down on a hill with her pack of huskies and they all look out over the land, and she feels an incredible sense of peace come over her, and thinks she may understand in some small way what it is like to be a dog at rest.
How did your dog adjust to living in America?
It was rocky at first. We couldn’t move back to my studio in Brooklyn because it didn’t accept dogs and I knew that Marcus, who was utterly unsocialized and accustomed to open Umbrian fields, wouldn’t be able to handle the city. We spent two years bopping around the East Coast and landing in a seaside town in Long Island, where an amazing behaviorist named Nikki Wood took us on. With her help, I was able to help Marcus work through her fears of noise, novelty, and men. It took a lot of effort on everyone’s part. Eventually, she managed a three-month cross-country road trip with me, and she handled stressful moments like a champion. Now, we live in Brooklyn, where Marcus is super content. She stalks birds and squirrels every morning and plays ball in the park every evening. It’s no Umbria, but she likes the comfort and consistency of her life. Her progress continues to impress me.

You can win my copy of the book by leaving a comment below about how your dog has impacted the way you live your life.  Winner announced on August 19, 2010 at noon!

Book available for purchase on Amazon.com!