Loss, Grief, and Friendship are the 3 words that come to my mind after reading “The Friend” Sigrid Nunez. A story of losing a best friend and developing an unexpected friendship in the aftermath.
This story follows a middle-aged women as she grieves the loss of her best friend. When she is unexpectedly given her best friends dog to look after. A friendship forms between her and the dog as she tries to comprehend what the dog needs to feel comfortable and what he thinks of his life without his owner. Even though she is not the most dog friendly person. She understands that by doing this, she is fulfilling one last wish of a friend.
This story was a big hard to follow in terms of who is talking and who they are talking too. I was expecting more of an emotional journey, but it fell flat for me. However, it was a sweet story of how a dogs and human can grief together after experiencing an overwhelming loss.
Hadley Books 