Walking the Dog: A Novel

by Elizabeth Swados

A “brilliant and layered” novel about a prodigy turned convict turned dog walker in her 40s from the celebrated author of My A Picture Book (Oprah.com).   A former child prodigy and rich-girl, eighteen-year-old Ester is incarcerated after her kleptomania gets way out of hand. There, she is given the very gentile name Carleen (for her own protection) and for two decades, time is the enemy. When finally let loose onto the streets of New York, Carleen finds a job as a dog walker in Manhattan’s most elite neighborhoods. But despite her remarkable gift for canine communication, Carleen is determined to finally prove that she is a real person. To this end, she tries to reconnect with her estranged—and ferociously Orthodox—daughter.   Amid the strained brunch dates, unsent letters, and the continuing trauma of prison, Carleen begins a slow and halting process of self-discovery. Strikingly funny and self-aware, this belated coming-of-age novel asks the How do you restart after crashing your first chance at life?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Dogs, New York

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

About the author

Elizabeth Swados (February 5, 1951 – January 5, 2016) was an American writer, composer, musician and theatre director. While some of her subject matter is humorous, such as her satirical look at Ronald Reagan (Rap Master Ronnie) and Doonesbury — both collaborations with Garry Trudeau — much of her work deals with darker issues such as racism, murder and mental illness.

Born February 5, 1951 in Buffalo, New York, Swados wrote about her life in her 1991 autobiography, The Four of Us, A Family Memoir, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Her father, Robert O. Swados, was a successful attorney who helped Seymour H. Knox III convert the local Buffalo Sabres hockey club into a full National Hockey League team. His autobiography, Counsel in the Crease: A Big League Player in the Hockey Wars was published by Prometheus Books in 2005.

Her mother struggled with depression, while her older brother (and only sibling) Lincoln developed schizophrenia. Her mother committed suicide in 1974, and Lincoln died in 1989. Swados suffered from depression, a condition she discussed in her book, My Depression: A Picture Book.

She studied music at Bennington College in Vermont, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973. In 1980, the Hobart and William Smith College awarded her an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters.

Swados died from complications following surgery for esophageal cancer on January 5, 2016. She was 64.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ellen]

Lets start with a disclaimer: I knew nothing about Elizabeth Swados-I saw the book, read the summary and thought, why not?

Having no idea she was a Pulitzer Prize winner, playwright, childrens' author & Tony winner I dove in thinking, "I love dogs & it sounds a bit eccentric but I'm in the right mood".

Halfway through this book when the main character Ester Rosenthal (aka a gentrified Carleen) describes her life and pathway to crime I almost stopped reading altogether. It was brutal and off putting. I thought that her graphic descriptions of life in prison, mental illness, violence and drug use were startling. I would not want to know or be physically near Carleen before she had treatment/a strong prescription/ had her s**t together. It seemed like the author had:

A)done waaaay too many drugs

B)was mentally ill

C)both of the above

D)was a brilliant writer

It's brilliant. Her depiction of life and the awful abuse ongoing in prison were horrifying. Carleen's kleptomaniac ADD tendencies provided a basis for her continued self sabotage. She was conflicted about how to handle a potential relationship with her strictly Orthodox daughter. Her mental illness, violent propensities and slow self awareness are not subtle but you'll want her to succeed.

The chapters about her dog walking spoiled Manhattan canines were wonderful. You get the personality of the dogs, their privileged owners and Carleen's coming of age and fitting into society-although somewhat skewed.

There is an Afterward written by Gloria Steinem that just cemented everything.

[Alexis Tenenbaum]

One of the best books I've ever read. Touched me to my core!

[Kate]

Carleen has been in prison for several years, for having planned a hold-up that ended up shooting and killing two police officers. She didn't do it out of a need for money; she had plenty of that. She liked the thrills. She's looking at many more years in prison, being bullied by staff and other inmates, when she's given the chance to train a service dog for a blind person. It's this work that finally springs her free and she works for a dog-walking company.

The narrative is rich in details. We learn all about the dogs and their owners, as well as life in prison, needing someone for protection and what does to one.

Somehow, in spite of the fact I thought I should have not been rooting for Carleen, I was. She was a sympathetic character, and I cared about her life in and out of prison. Clearly, a well-researched story. Not an easy book to read -- and it's fiction -- yet a very satisfying read.

[Bethany]

So lately in our library catalogue I've been looking at the "subjects" assigned to various books to try and find other books similar to ones I've enjoyed. I came across Walking the Dog by clicking on the entry for "self-realization in women". Lol.

When I saw in the book blurb WHO Elizabeth Swados was, I put the book on hold immediately! She wrote the 1978 musical Runaways, which, I admit, I have very little knowledge of apart from repeated listens to "Lullaby from Baby to Baby" and repeated viewings of the Tony Awards performance. Still, I knew she was a talented and interesting lady. This book did not discredit this knowledge!

It's been a while since I came across a character as memorable (in a good way) as Carleen/Ester. The story takes you to a lot of harsh places of humanity. Yet, I didn't feel too burdened throughout--mostly I was just hoping that Carleen/Ester could make it through and get whatever it is that she wants... which, to be honest, I couldn't really tell you what that is. Definitely a book that will be lingering in my mind!

[Jason McKinney]

A fascinating character study that reminded me of Rachel Kushner’s The Mars Room. A little overlong but an incredibly worthy read.

[Jessica Gouthro]

This wasn't for me, I didn't like the way the central character talked about how badass she was, or something like that. Still finished it so it couldn't have been one star material.

[Steve]

Carleen Kepper, formerly Ester Rosenthal, is one of the most unique and complex characters I've ever run across. Within her complexity is artistic genius, emotional instability, and honest reflection on her life and its events. Her job in her forties is walking and training dogs, and they take as large a role in the story as do fellow humans. (I want to meet the giant dog Doorbell.) Her story, from childhood to her forties, is told in chapters that vary in sequence. Swados reveals things with delicious timing, which means that I must refrain from mentioning events. The secondary characters work with Carleen/Ester in believable ways and include people from a variety of walks of life, from ill-intentioned to mixed or good motive, from dangerous or drug-influenced to successful and well-off. Carleen's difficulty with human relationships looms large and Judaism and its ideas play an important role, too. There wasn't much of Carleen I could relate to besides loving dogs, but I definitely came to root for her. This work stands out for its writing, the beautiful complexity of Carleen, its fine organization, and its deft handling of potentially sticky events and locations. I thought the ending terrific. I would, and already have, recommend it highly.

[Pixel Rainbow]

What I loved the most was the many deep self realizations the main character had. Some of them she spoke to people and some were just her thoughts or described feelings. One of my favorites was... "I had a moment to myself and felt an emptiness that was not unpleasant. It was like when your high up in an airplane and you look out the window and the sky creates flat blue spaces in between unpredictable white clouds that have nothing to do with rain." They were many, original, and beautiful. The characters were vivid and unique. The story was good and very woman oriented which I felt I could connect with. The events were told out of order, I'm not sure if I would have preferred the story told in chronological order or not.!?

[Ann]

I liked this story. It took me a few chapters to get into the mind of Carleen (Ester) . The prison warden changed her name because Jewish women go beat up by other inmates looking for money. This book dealt with a lot of Jewish customs and traditions and the Jewish community. Carleen deals much better with dogs than people and uses this talent both in prison and out.

[Stephanie DiBiase]

I could not put it down. It was a hard read, not what I would classify as light reading, but I was sad when it was over and I loved Carleen even though she was hard to love. It’s definitely not a book for everyone, but may the algorithm gods lead you to it if it’s for you.

[Tracy]

A very unique and memorable protagonist!

[Ruofan]

A page turner, thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience, particularly love the chapters of various dogs and dog owners, as well as her artist experience. One also gets glimps to a side of life usually unknown, I do wonder how much is fiction and how much is real and how the writer was able to do research on that.
However, only part of the book I really object to is that at time it is overly exaggerated, dramatic or sentimental; and on a lesser level, a certain character is highly annoying.
The book would have benefited from more editing from the author. My understanding is that this is the last book she wrote which she hardly finished before it was published.
It is between 3 and 4 stars.

[Karen Ruymann]

There is an unabashed honest in this book. All characters receive the same meticulous scrutiny and none come off as easily loved. The protagonist is extremely self-critical and unforgiving, but also started from emotional unbalance and progresses to trauma due to the consequences of her actions. Her salvation is found in the true relationships she forms with the dogs she cares for. An unfiltered look at women's prisons and emotional damage, but worth the read.

[Juliette Guido]

A hard read that I’m not sure I will pick up again, but regardless it has sunken into my brain and found home. Read this when you don’t know what you want to do next, when your family doesn’t feel like family, when your dog feels more human than not, and your hands don’t know what to do with themselves.

[Vanessa (V.C.)]

I get this novel is called Walking the Dog, but the constant superfluous dog analogies were obnoxious and insulting to the reader’s intelligence. What an immature, really annoying, and insufferable narrator. How old is she, twelve? The writing was eye-rollingly bad. The story wasn’t nearly as interesting nor as clever as it tried so hard to be. I just can’t.

[Rachel]

See my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...

[Kelly]

Solid 4. I've never read a book about the healing powers of dogs that I didn't like.

[Debbie Taub]

Loved this book!

[Todd Hunnicutt]

Very easy to read but so unbelievable in parts that I was rolling my eyes.

[Caroline Kubale]

4.5 A disturbing and violent story but glimpses of hope as well.

[Missy]

One of the best books I have read lately

[Trina]

This book was gripping. Some parts were really tough to read. But the last 40 pages slayed me, and I cried through them. The ending was beautiful.

[Teresa]

Beautifully written.

[Becky]

Good book. Weak, predictable ending.

[Dedre]

Interesting read and exceptionally well written. Got it through my book club but I also hope that it will get less expensive to buy in South Africa. Would love to own a copy.

[Beth]

Would probably give this 3.5 stars. Interesting characters and storytelling.

[Carol Buchter]

There are a lot of things of interest to peruse in this book. It helps to love dogs, be curious about prison culture and appreciate the intricacies of modern Judaism.

[Suz]

If I could, I would give this book a 5+. An excellent read that stays with you.

[Leslie P.]

This is a very unique story. I found it hard to admire the protagonist, though she suffers mightily throughout the story. I kept reading solely to see if she finds redemption.

[Briana Michelle]

3.5