Jem

Lessons in Living

by John Donald Middleton

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Pub Date Feb 09 2016 | Archive Date Sep 07 2016

Pious Pelican Press

Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)

Description

John Middleton has owned pets all his life. Dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, birds and more were always cherished family members. But when he was 54 a pug named Jem came along, and over the next three years became the best friend he ever had. How had a dog become such an important part of his existence? Jem: Lessons in Living is the story of one dog, and much more.

The author initially intended to write the biography of a single, special dog. What emerged was a reflection on life, love, pets and people. One thread that runs throughout it all—marriage, children, career—is a drinking problem that got worse with each passing year.

Jem came along when John’s drinking had become full-blown alcoholism. He was still a puppy when, in February 2010, John reached out for help. Jem became an integral part of his recovery.

Jem: Lessons in Living is a heartwarming story about the healing that comes from total devotion. With honesty and tenderness, John chronicles their years together—a time filled with comedy and eventual tragedy, and seasoned with the loyalty of a small dog with a big heart.

A portion of the proceeds from this book will benefit DFW Pug Rescue Club in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

John Middleton has owned pets all his life. Dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, birds and more were always cherished family members. But when he was 54 a pug named Jem came along, and over the next three...

Advance Praise

This short memoir is a charming, graceful, and sometimes painfully honest look at some very hard truths. Middleton may have set out to write about the life and loss of his beloved pug, Jem, but in doing so he clearly learned a lot about his own life, and his relationships with humans as well as animals. The author is disarmingly open about his own foibles and flaws, and while the pain of Jem’s loss comes through in a way all of us who love friends with paws can (unfortunately) relate to, what I ultimately took away from the book was a sense of gratitude: we folk on two legs are just plain lucky when we have the opportunity to know and love four-legged souls like Jem.

This short memoir is a charming, graceful, and sometimes painfully honest look at some very hard truths. Middleton may have set out to write about the life and loss of his beloved pug, Jem, but in...