A Three Dog Life - Paperback

by Abigail Thomas (Author)

When Abigail Thomas's husband, Rich, was hit by a car, his brain shattered. Subject to rages, terrors, and hallucinations, he must live the rest of his life in an institu-tion. He has no memory of what he did the hour, the day, the year before. This tragedy is the ground on which Abigail had to build a new life.

How she built that life is a story of great courage and great change, of moving to a small country town, of a new family composed of three dogs, knitting, and friendship, of facing down guilt and discovering gratitude.This wise, plainspoken, beautiful book enacts the truth Abigail discovered in the five years since the acci-dent: You might not find meaning in disaster, but you might, with effort, make something useful of it.

"The startling power and beauty of Abigail Thomas's memoir comes not only from her acute perceptions of a man without memories and her fear of losing her husband but from her refusal to surrender the shards of a loving relationship."--O, the Oprah Magazine

Front Jacket

[A] spare, astonishing memoir. A. Entertainment WeeklyWhen Abigail Thomas s husband, Rich, was hit by a car, his skull was shattered, his brain severely damaged. Subject to rages, terrors, and hallucinations, he was sent to live in a nursing facility that specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries. He had no memory of what he did the hour, the day, the year before. This tragedy is the ground on which Abigail had to build a new life. How she built that life is a story of great courage and change, of moving to a small country town, of a new family composed of three dogs, knitting, and friendship, of facing down guilt and discovering gratitude. It is also about her relationship with Rich, a man who lived in the eternal present, and the eerie poetry of his often uncanny perceptions. This wise, plainspoken, beautiful book enacts the truth Abigail has discovered in the years since the accident: You might not find meaning in disaster, but you might, with effort, make something useful of it.

Back Jacket

A Los Angeles Times Favorite Nonfiction Book of the Year
A Washington Post Book World Best Book of the Year
"This haunting memoir...wields enormous impact."--People (four stars)
"The startling power and beauty of Abigail Thomas's memoir, A Three Dog Life, comes not only from her acute perceptions of a man without memories and her fear of losing her husband but from her refusal to surrender the shards of a loving relationship." O, The Oprah Magazine
Neither a downer nor a smug testimonial to the triumphant human spirit, just the perfectly honed observations of a clear-eyed and witty writer."--Newsweek"