Ivan!: A Pound Dog's View on Life, Love, and Leashes

by Tim McHugh

Overview

A story of hope, love and purpose for anyone who has ever loved a rescue dog.

With wry wit, deep insight, and vivid anecdotes, Tim McHugh gives voice to the family pet and delves into the place where the canine and human hearts become one.

Ivan, a mixed-breed dog-philosopher with an extreme underbite and various other deformities, chronicles his life story with keen observations about his adopted family and the people he loves, covering the life events that touch us all. Throughout his life Ivan keeps plugging forward with optimism and faith, always striving to learn from his mistakes, believing that even as he is ultimately facing old age, disease, and death, life is all the more wonderful. To Ivan, love and relationships with people are what matters most, and that if a deformed pound dog like him can find love and acceptance, anyone can. His is a lively, humorous story of hope and perseverance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596528314
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Tim McHugh is an author, a professional musician, and a composer. He earned a BA in Creative Writing from Western Washington Universityand in 2004 he published his debut novel, The Poet Chronicles. He currently teaches high school English with at-risk youth in a rural alternative high school in northern Washington State where he resides with his family.

Editorial Reviews

Following in the footsteps of Barbara Bush's Millie's Book, McHugh offers thoughts on life from the perspective of his family dog, Ivan. Ivan muses about his name, wondering if his master had the Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible in mind. However, as he notes: "Since people tell me that, in spite of how funny looking I am, I'm a good dog, let's just say that I'm Ivan the Good." He also offers his thoughts on a variety of subjects (views presumably shared by McHugh) from obedience training to breed snobbery, and the omnipresent leash that reminds him of a snake wriggling behind his back. Genuinely funny incidents abound, such as when Ivan climbs a rickety ladder and gets stuck in an attic. This appealingly simple debut book conveys the love of family and the joys of a life lived in harmony with nature. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Move over, Marley, there’s a new dog in town! Be prepared to take a breathtaking, emotional joyride . . . two paws up!” —Charlie Cantrell and Dr. Rachel Wagner, authors of A Friend for Einstein, the Smallest Stallion

“Ivan is not your average dog. He tells his life story—from pound dog to beloved family companion—in this unique twist on the dog memoir. An admirer of Tolstoy, Descartes, and Thoreau, Ivan finds himself contemplating life’s biggest questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? And, Why am I always hungry? I loved it!” —C. A. Wulff, author of Born Without a Tail and Circling the Waggins

“Gandhi, MLK, Tolstoy . . . Ivan. All champions of the underdog. Hilarious!” —Dana Lyons, author of Cows with Guns and The Tree

"Literate, poignant, and hilarious. Ivan is a canine Huckleberry Finn, wise in his naiveté." —Gary McKinney, author of Slipknot and Darkness Bids the Dead Goodbye

“We can all use a fresh perspective . . . from a dog’s eye. If you’ve ever wondered about the life lived in a state of grace, here’s your answer.” —Mitch Friedman, coauthor of Forever Wild

"A great book." —American Dog Magazine
 
"[Ivan!] celebrates the life of a truly unique dog." —New Day Northwest
 
"I absolutely love this book. So inspiring!" —Jennifer, Nashville Humane Society

From the Publisher