Living with Freddie - by Anna Heyward (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A tender-hearted account of the unexpected friendship between a woman and the "bad" dog she rescues, exploring how far we'll go for understanding and unconditional love--by a New Yorker writer and animal behavior expert

When Anna Heyward made the decision to foster a dog, she did so because she believed that it would make her life fuller. She met her dog for the first time just outside her apartment, where the rescue organization delivered a lithe greyhound with a white coat and brown spots. She named him Freddie.

Very quickly, Anna discovered that Freddie was unable to be alone for more than a few moments. He had severe separation anxiety. Where some would have given the dog back, especially as he continued to jeopardize her schedule and freedom, Anna reorganized her life. She became consumed by the need to understand and bridge the disconnect between Freddie's needs and a world designed for--and by--humans. She observed him closely for hours at a time, sought explanations in literature, and eventually enrolled in a graduate course in animal behavior.

In this portrait of an unlikely connection between a woman and her dog, Heyward also offers an enlightening investigation into animal science, and the assumptions we make about what counts as "good" or "bad" behavior. Tender, funny, and unsparingly honest, Living with Freddie will change the way you see the world--and the animals we share it with.

About the Author

Anna Heyward worked on the editorial staff of The New Yorker and as an editorial and special projects consultant at an art gallery. She was a graduate student in animal behavior and welfare science at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Her writing has also been published by The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, T Magazine, The Paris Review, and Vogue, among others. She was born in Melbourne and lives in New York.