Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn't Want Kids (.Until I Did)

by Taylor Wolfe

Overview

“In this hilarious, uplifting memoir, Wolfe describes her intense bond with Harlow...as she grapples with the chaos of her 20s, marriage, and eventually new motherhood.”—Washington Post

“An engaging debut with a lighthearted memoir of her tender relationship with her dog, Harlow, and her rocky path to becoming a mother. . . . A sweet homage to a beloved pet.”—Kirkus Reviews

The funny and poignant story of one woman’s wonderfully codependent relationship with her dog – and what he taught her about chosen family and the reward of motherhood.

Birdie & Harlow is the story of a baby and a dog. But motherhood is never quite that simple. In Taylor Wolfe’s case, it’s a long, zigzagging and winding road.

Meant to be a last-minute anniversary gift for her then boyfriend (and now husband), the highly-energetic and loud-mouthed Vizla puppy named Harlow turns out to be the best snap decision twenty-year-old Taylor ever makes—and the beginning of the most epic friendship she ever has. As Wolfe’s resistance to 9-5’s and traditional adulthood grows, Harlow becomes the perfect companion for her eccentricities in a world that thrives on conformity. Wolfe’s twenties—full of pitfalls and surprises, sad days and silver linings—led her to the realization that life is too short to spend your days in a crate (or a cubicle), that parks are meant to be enjoyed, and most importantly, she wants to be a mom. But really, isn't she one already? 

A charming and touching memoir, Birdie & Harlow is a tribute to the many expressions of modern motherhood, to both human and fur babies alike. Taylor’s story reminds all of us that life will surprise you and that families should come in every shape and size.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063293816
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/19/2023
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	160,893
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

TAYLOR WOLFE is a professional funny person on the internet. She is the writer behind The Daily Tay blog and founder and creative director of online clothing stores, The Taylor Wolfe Shop and Chilly Wolfe. Her work has been featured in TODAY!, the Dodo, and more.

Editorial Reviews

"An engaging debut with a lighthearted memoir of her tender relationship with her dog, Harlow, and her rocky path to becoming a mother… A sweet homage to a beloved pet.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A crucial read for those who have ever loved a pet deeply and for those looking for a narrative about the importance of connections and relationships, especially the unexpected ones.” — Library Journal

“The buoyancy of Wolfe's warm, witty storytelling will keep readers rapt—tearing up one minute and laughing the next…Birdie & Harlow is a lively, spirited memoir about how a dog named Harlow rallied a young couple who faced many challenges on the way to parenthood.” — Shelf Awareness

“In this hilarious, uplifting memoir, Wolfe describes her intense bond with Harlow...as she grapples with the chaos of her 20s, marriage, and eventually new motherhood.” — Washington Post

From the Publisher

08/01/2023

Adding a baby to one's family is a life-changing moment, especially if the would-be parent already feels full. In this book, Wolfe describes in a mostly lighthearted, sometimes heavy manner how her world shifted as soon as she became a parent—a dog parent, that is—to Harlow, whom the author credits with changing her life. Focusing on all of the ups and downs of loving a pet and her journey toward motherhood with the birth of her human baby, Birdy, this book demonstrates that there is no one right way to do things. Wolfe does not hold back in her descriptions of how anxiety can be all-consuming and how a pregnancy can hinder one's mental and physical health, even with love and support from family. This book is also a love story dedicated to Harlow and to all the pets that have gotten people through difficult periods of life. VERDICT This book is a crucial read for those who have ever loved a pet deeply and for those looking for a narrative about the importance of connections and relationships, especially the unexpected ones.—Leah Fitzgerald

Library Journal

2023-06-07
How the author’s love for her dog changed her life.

Wolfe makes an engaging book debut with a lighthearted memoir of her tender relationship with her dog, Harlow, and her rocky path to becoming a mother. In 2010, she bought a vizsla puppy as a gift for her boyfriend—and husband-to-be—Chris, to celebrate their two-year anniversary. Chris was delighted, and Wolfe even more so. “Something about bringing Harlow into my life opened up a part of me that made me so much more sensitive to everything,” she writes. With various jobs that included being a high school recruiter for a culinary school and selling graphic T-shirts and sweatshirts, Wolfe was able to enjoy Harlow’s exuberance as he grew from puppyhood. “For the first few weeks,” she writes, “there was a bit of a power “struggle as to who got to walk whom, but in the end, we both decided it was best if Har walked me, especially as he grew bigger and stronger.” At one point, she got a job that required her to work in an office, which meant Harlow needed to be sequestered in a crate. “The days I spent in a cubicle making sales calls knowing Har was at home locked in a crate,” she confesses, “made me feel like I too was locked in a crate.” Both of them preferred walks in the park, so she quit. Harlow became her friend, companion, and confidant: The author peppers the text with their conversations as Harlow observes, and comments wryly on, Wolfe’s life. She and Chris married, and soon after they tentatively decided to start “trying,” she became pregnant. The author candidly reveals her anxieties about motherhood and the physical and emotional tolls of pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for an infant. One of her anxieties, unsurprisingly, was how Harlow would respond to a baby—but she needn’t have worried.

A sweet homage to a beloved pet.

Kirkus Reviews