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Cherished: 21 Writers on Animals They Have Loved and Lost
Because “grieving for an animal can be a pretty lonely place,” Barbara Abercrombie created this joyful, poignant, funny, and smart collection of commiseration. Readers meet the cat who entered a neighbor’s window and got in bed with strangers, the dog who demanded down pillows, and even a coyote who became part of the family. The essays highlight the sometimes surprising things animals add to a household — and how their loss reverberates. Because these are such fine writers, each essay also reveals larger truths about life. Whether the reader is grieving a loss, cherishing a current companion, or simply relishing a tale well told, the message is clear: it is better to have loved and lost...
* All royalties will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society
* Includes stories by Anne Lamott, Jane Smiley, Jacqueline Winspear, Carolyn See, Mark Doty, and many others
* All royalties will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society
* Includes stories by Anne Lamott, Jane Smiley, Jacqueline Winspear, Carolyn See, Mark Doty, and many others
240 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2011
16 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Abercrombie
25 books20 followersBarbara Abercrombie has published 15 books -two novels for adults, books for children, including the award winning picture book, CHARLIE ANDERSON, plus non-fiction books. Her novels have been optioned for films and published in six languages. Her essays, articles and poems have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and her sixteenth book THE LANGUAGE OF LOSS will be published in November 2020 by New World Library.
She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won the Outstanding Teacher award in 1994 and the Distinguished Instructor award in 2010.
Barbara lives in Pasadena and Lake Arrowhead California.
She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won the Outstanding Teacher award in 1994 and the Distinguished Instructor award in 2010.
Barbara lives in Pasadena and Lake Arrowhead California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 31, 2021
Animals warm and boost our spirits—but watching them die is the worst. The pain is unavoidable.
I picked up this book from a neighborhood ‘Little Library’ box a few days ago.
It was practically calling out my name.
Saying goodbye to Lunchbox 🐾…..
our *Lunchie* still hurts.
Finding this book when I did couldn’t have been a total fluke.
A case of the right book at the right time landed in my hands….
These true-story essays were heartfelt, tender, funny, and wise.
Anne Lamontt had this to say about their family dog named Sadie:
“She consoled us through friends’ illnesses, through the death of Sam’s grandparents.
She and I walked Sam to school every. She was mother, dad, psych nurse. She helped me survive my boyfriends and sometimes metallic, percussion loneliness in between. She helped Sam survive his first mean girlfriend. She’d let my mother stroke her head forever. She taught me comfort”.
When Sadie was about to turn thirteen, she developed lymphoma…..
a beautiful story of love and loss, and learning to trust it’s worth loving another animal again — that the ‘loss’ pain is worth the ‘love’ shared.
….hamsters, cats, horses, pigs, birds, dogs, and other animals have changed our lives forever.
I picked up this book from a neighborhood ‘Little Library’ box a few days ago.
It was practically calling out my name.
Saying goodbye to Lunchbox 🐾…..
our *Lunchie* still hurts.
Finding this book when I did couldn’t have been a total fluke.
A case of the right book at the right time landed in my hands….
These true-story essays were heartfelt, tender, funny, and wise.
Anne Lamontt had this to say about their family dog named Sadie:
“She consoled us through friends’ illnesses, through the death of Sam’s grandparents.
She and I walked Sam to school every. She was mother, dad, psych nurse. She helped me survive my boyfriends and sometimes metallic, percussion loneliness in between. She helped Sam survive his first mean girlfriend. She’d let my mother stroke her head forever. She taught me comfort”.
When Sadie was about to turn thirteen, she developed lymphoma…..
a beautiful story of love and loss, and learning to trust it’s worth loving another animal again — that the ‘loss’ pain is worth the ‘love’ shared.
….hamsters, cats, horses, pigs, birds, dogs, and other animals have changed our lives forever.
December 28, 2011
The pets that come into our lives leave an indelible mark on our homes and our hearts. Here are 21 writers who share their personal stories of the joy, the knowledge, the pleasure and the pain that their family pets brought to them. A great collection of stories, each sweet and sad. Each is a reminder, that in that moment, when we fall in love with an animal and bring them into our lives, there will inevitably be a tearful farewell a few years down the line. From each of these stories, and those that we could tell ourselves, is the magnificent truth that it was still better to have loved and lost them, than to never have loved them at all.
December 12, 2020
From page 15, "Here's the thing about losing animals: they take a piece of you with them when they die. They love the best in you, they share your days and nights, and then they're gone and there's a hole in your life - this vanished past they've taken with them."
From page 73, "One night I had dinner with a writer friend, Susan, who has lost many dogs and keeps adopting more. "You think you've lost everything," she said to me, "but when you look into that next dog's eyes you'll know: it's all one big dog soul. That's not to say you'll have the same relationship with the dog you had before, mostly because you are not who you were when that dog showed up. You will have something different.
When grieving the loss of a beloved pet, there is a comfort in reading of other's losses and how they came out on the other side. There is comfort in knowing you aren't the only one who hurts and cries at the death of a four-legged companion. So when faced with the inevitable loss of my oldest pet, I turned to this collection of short stories written by authors who have lost their most cherished pets. And most of those stories fit the bill for me, especially Seamus and Spud, but some of the stories seemed harsh and uncaring, maybe those authors' pain was too deep to swim around in for the writing of a short story.
Overall, a nice collection of memories, some more emotional and captivating than others.
From page 73, "One night I had dinner with a writer friend, Susan, who has lost many dogs and keeps adopting more. "You think you've lost everything," she said to me, "but when you look into that next dog's eyes you'll know: it's all one big dog soul. That's not to say you'll have the same relationship with the dog you had before, mostly because you are not who you were when that dog showed up. You will have something different.
When grieving the loss of a beloved pet, there is a comfort in reading of other's losses and how they came out on the other side. There is comfort in knowing you aren't the only one who hurts and cries at the death of a four-legged companion. So when faced with the inevitable loss of my oldest pet, I turned to this collection of short stories written by authors who have lost their most cherished pets. And most of those stories fit the bill for me, especially Seamus and Spud, but some of the stories seemed harsh and uncaring, maybe those authors' pain was too deep to swim around in for the writing of a short story.
Overall, a nice collection of memories, some more emotional and captivating than others.
April 12, 2021
This book is a compilation of essays by 25 authors about their pets. It is sweet. It made me cry. It made me cherish the dogs living with us now, as well as the memory of those gone before.
May 31, 2011
First off, I'd actually give this book 3.5 stars, I rounded up because they are donating the royalties from this book to a great organization The Best Friends Animal Society which runs the largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals.
I loved the premise of this book- 21 short stories about losing much loved pets. Most of the stories consist of dogs, horses and cats. I'm an avid animal person (grew up on a farm, 3 dogs & 5 cats!)and on a personal note my 20 year old cat Tony passed away of a stroke last summer. He was my best buddy for years and I still miss him! So, I couldn't wait to start reading this book.
As a whole this book didn't touch me as much as I thought it would. As other reviewers have mentioned this book is quite the mixed bag of stories. Some of the stories will have you touched and in tears(in my case the story of "Hope". Other stories in this book will have you bordering on anger towards an irresponsible pet owner. I also agree with previous reviewers that some of the stories lacked (or seemed to lack) any real emotion on the part of the author.
Besides the few stories that just seemed to be void of emotion, I did enjoy the stories where the author really put their emotions about their pet on display. A book like this needs emotion and when that emotion about their pets really showed, this book was great.
Minus a few stories, this book is still worth a read if you're an animal lover or if you have recently lost a pet. Plus, the royalties go for a great organization.
I loved the premise of this book- 21 short stories about losing much loved pets. Most of the stories consist of dogs, horses and cats. I'm an avid animal person (grew up on a farm, 3 dogs & 5 cats!)and on a personal note my 20 year old cat Tony passed away of a stroke last summer. He was my best buddy for years and I still miss him! So, I couldn't wait to start reading this book.
As a whole this book didn't touch me as much as I thought it would. As other reviewers have mentioned this book is quite the mixed bag of stories. Some of the stories will have you touched and in tears(in my case the story of "Hope". Other stories in this book will have you bordering on anger towards an irresponsible pet owner. I also agree with previous reviewers that some of the stories lacked (or seemed to lack) any real emotion on the part of the author.
Besides the few stories that just seemed to be void of emotion, I did enjoy the stories where the author really put their emotions about their pet on display. A book like this needs emotion and when that emotion about their pets really showed, this book was great.
Minus a few stories, this book is still worth a read if you're an animal lover or if you have recently lost a pet. Plus, the royalties go for a great organization.
September 29, 2012
This is a heartwarming collection of stories that speaks to the love we have for our pets. The stories show how deeply we are connected to them and the grief we experience when they die. I love how it reaffirmed my own love for our quirky pets and shows the connection between a pet and their human. The death of a pet is a terrible loss, but the time we've spent with them helps to define our lives.
Overall, I thought this was a touching, emotionally laden book. I had originally borrowed it from our local library to help my mother-in-law after her puppy was killed after darting out into the street. She said that many of the stories focused mainly on older pets, but that she liked reading how others described their relationships with their pets. She recommended that I read it, too, and I'm glad that I did.
interesting quotes:
"That may be the truest thing about a story. Even when it's over, it's not over." (p. 11)
"We have to experience the absence of life in order to accept it." (p. 33)
"I told her that no matter what happened with this boyfriend, once she had experienced the joys of a happy and close relationship, she would always know how to have that again, and would always have that again." (p. 35)
"But here's the thing about losing an animal that I have had to learn over and over again - when I let myself grieve I come to the end of it. And finally the tears open my heart to the animals who follow." (p. 115)
new word: riparian
Overall, I thought this was a touching, emotionally laden book. I had originally borrowed it from our local library to help my mother-in-law after her puppy was killed after darting out into the street. She said that many of the stories focused mainly on older pets, but that she liked reading how others described their relationships with their pets. She recommended that I read it, too, and I'm glad that I did.
interesting quotes:
"That may be the truest thing about a story. Even when it's over, it's not over." (p. 11)
"We have to experience the absence of life in order to accept it." (p. 33)
"I told her that no matter what happened with this boyfriend, once she had experienced the joys of a happy and close relationship, she would always know how to have that again, and would always have that again." (p. 35)
"But here's the thing about losing an animal that I have had to learn over and over again - when I let myself grieve I come to the end of it. And finally the tears open my heart to the animals who follow." (p. 115)
new word: riparian
January 29, 2011
In "Cherished," editor Barbara Abercrombie has assembled 21 essays about pet loss. Authors like Ann Lamott and Jane Smiley recount the passings of beloved pets ranging from dogs and cats to horses and pigs.
The essays touch on love, compassion, old age, terminal illness and a host of other issues faced by humans and animals alike. There are stories that will make you smile, and stories that will make you cry, but each one will move you.
Anyone who has found unconditional love in the eyes of a pet is sure to be moved by this book. Highly recommended.
The essays touch on love, compassion, old age, terminal illness and a host of other issues faced by humans and animals alike. There are stories that will make you smile, and stories that will make you cry, but each one will move you.
Anyone who has found unconditional love in the eyes of a pet is sure to be moved by this book. Highly recommended.
January 1, 2024
I almost didn't read this book. I have experienced too much heartbreak with lost fur babies. But a friend picked it for book club so I braced myself and read it. I'm glad I did. Many of these heartwarming stories reminded me of the growth I made by loving animals, just as these authors did. I recommend it for animal lovers but also for people intereted in hearing about other's personal growth from loving animals.
October 28, 2011
This book came to me as a gift from a dear friend, just after Lucy died. I know it's contributed so much to my grieving/healing process. It's such a wonderful collection of essays, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has lost an animal friend.
August 30, 2012
For anyone who's ever lost a pet...
July 20, 2013
Lovely tributes to our lives with animal companions.
March 12, 2014
Sweet animal stories.
August 21, 2015
Not a huge fan of short stories generally but a lot of these were really good!
September 18, 2022
A collection of short essays that deals with pet loss not only by death, but also by rehoming (the adoption where the older pet DID NOT APPROVE; the childhood pet given away by parents/guardians; the beloved barn cat that could not be uprooted from their barn when you moved; etc), and speaks of more species than just dogs & cats (there are a few horses and even a pig). As with any collection, some stories are stronger than others. Some are touching, some are heartbreaking, and one near the end was mildly horrifying to me in an "omg I can tell you loved this dog but WHAT the hell kinda irresponsible ownership...?!?" way. Stories range from touching tributes to a beloved family member (I did tear up a few times) to thoughtful meditations on regret (again...) and/or the nature of and reasons for one's attachment to the animals that stay in your heart and memory, and what your relationship with your animals might say about you.
A pretty decent read for animal lovers, especially those who have lost a pet at some point, or foresee losing one in the future.
A pretty decent read for animal lovers, especially those who have lost a pet at some point, or foresee losing one in the future.
May 9, 2020
Great read ONCE. This book took me forever to finish. If you are tender-hearted, approach this book with caution. Every chapter was a tale about a beloved pet and the loss of them. The way our pets get into our heart and latch on, then they don't live long enough and we have to say goodbye, it just breaks my heart every single time. Especially if we have to "decide" to end their lives. I would rather wake up and find my pet has passed in his or her sleep. I don't want to be the one to go and tell the doctor, it's time, their life is over and I'm the decider of that. That is too hard! The tears pour out. My soul, like my heart, tears in two. Bittersweet read. Bring a box of Kleenex, or two, to this book.
March 30, 2025
There are some stories of animals dying tragically and animal abuse just as a forewarning. I picked this up after my dog passed away, and although some stories I enjoyed, others weren’t really what I was looking for although I appreciate the raw reality of them. Was looking for more comfort with pet grief.
March 5, 2021
Essays about beloved pets who have died. Made me cry repeatedly, but it is a wonderful book to help process grief.
October 23, 2023
This book made me laugh and cry and was a comfort to read after losing a precious furbaby.
September 7, 2012
I wasn't sure whether to rate this 4 or 5 stars. On the one hand, struggling so much with the death of my MervCat, this book really hit home in a few of the short stories provided. I'll write some of my favorite quotes tomorrow after I stop crying. That's why I would give it 5 stars because it was helpful to read about others who went through the same thing; experienced the same thoughts and emotions as I have in the last month. The reason I would give it 4 stars is that out of the 21 stories, I didn't relate to most of them. Some were about horses or pigs and didn't touch my heart. The stories didn't help cause I couldn't relate to some of them; and even a couple of the stories made me cringe or feel anger towards the writer. But, again, the stories that I did relate to were very touching and helpful. I ended up rating it 4 stars because I wouldn't read the entire book again, just specific stories that I marked.
May 11, 2011
This collection of stories from various authors about pets they had loved and lost was not nearly as sad as I thought it might be. Most of the stories high-lighted all the great things about their pet, not just focusing on their death. For anyone who's a pet owner or animal lover you know that having pets means accepting that at some point you will probably be the one to decide when their life will end. It's never easy, but is a necessary part of being a pet owner. This book celebrated that animal person bond and showed how all of our pets continue to live on in our memories of them.
December 18, 2011
As with any collection of essays, some resonated with me more than others. But many
of the pieces are beautifully written, honest, and very moving. My only gripe is the lack
of species diversity here: most of the essays are written about dogs and cats, a couple
about horses, and one pig. Where are the birds? Rabbits? Goats? Reptiles? Still,
I'd recommend this for anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a beloved animal friend.
of the pieces are beautifully written, honest, and very moving. My only gripe is the lack
of species diversity here: most of the essays are written about dogs and cats, a couple
about horses, and one pig. Where are the birds? Rabbits? Goats? Reptiles? Still,
I'd recommend this for anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a beloved animal friend.
July 9, 2011
I picked this up while at camp for the weekend...and read it in less than a day...some of the stories brought tears to my eyes as I've got an ole lady kitto who is still going strong but I realize will not be with me forever and, too, have lost too many pets too soon. Many of the stories made me smile...well worth the time.
November 4, 2011
I am not a huge fan of short-story collections, mainly because I like to get really into a single story. But this was a really sweet collection of true stories about animals that were lost (not all to death, either). I think any animal lover would enjoy this book.
March 2, 2012
I thought this book would make me super sad and cry but it actually didn't. It was a great homage to people's beloved pets and the end stage of their life. It was very insightful and gave me new ways to think about the dreadful day that will happen eventually.
June 28, 2011
This was a good book. I liked the short stories by different authors. At times it was sad.
June 27, 2015
This was basically a book full of essays on animals who were awesome and cute and then died. Very depressing! Although, they started off good :(
April 29, 2015
Stories about pets dying.
January 11, 2014
Some of they stories in this collection were moving, some maddening. I guess everyone has their own idea on how to relate to their pets/companions/training buddies.
March 22, 2017
Not every story won me over, but in every story I found people's experiences with animals forever changed them in some profound way.
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April 28, 2017"We have to experience the absence of life in order to accept it."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews