Short Leash

“Janice Gary achieves a remarkable feat, taking the reader on a vast inward journey toward freedom from the effects of real trauma in her youth by walking her dog in a public park. With Barney by her side, she faces her deepest fears and discovers the grace of the natural world, the power of love, and the potency of her own strengths. There were innumerable times when I was just knocked over by this book. This is a stunningly beautiful story told by a gifted writer.”

—Meredith Hall, author of Without a Map

“Short Leash is about finding the courage to hope despite what happened in the past and what will happen to those you love in the future. It’s about discovering that it’s never too late to grow out of pain and into strength. Plus, there is the dog. Reading this made me snuggle mine for a very long time.”

—Susan Kushner Resnick, author of You Saved Me, Too and Goodbye Wifes and Daughters

“Gary’s book reminds me not only of what dogs bring to our lives—their warmth, strength, and acceptance of the imperfect humans they live with—but of what words are for. The words in Short Leash leap off the page, carving Barney, his imperfect human, and their extraordinary landscape deep into my memory. Luminously spiritual, unflinchingly honest, this book re-makes its genres into a profound meditation.”

—Louise Bernikow, author of Dreaming in Libro: How a Good Dog Tamed a Bad Woman and Bark If You Love Me

“Sometimes redemption comes in the form of a rambunctious four-legged creature. Such is the case with Gary’s debut memoir. In this beautifully written book, the author’s beloved dog Barney tugs and ultimately drags his emotionally damaged human companion through parks and paths to an inner place of strength, joy, and freedom from her painful past.”

—Mira Bartók, author of the National Book Critics Circle award–winning memoir, The Memory Palace