by Nick Trout
First published 2011
Nick Trout examines how animals have influenced his journey from childhood to becoming a veterinarian and father. He recounts growing up in a working-class British neighborhood where his German shepherd Patch protected him from local bullies. Trout describes his father's support for his veterinary dreams, despite knowing the career would take his son 3,000 miles from home. He details courting his future wife and winning over her difficult cat, then chronicles his daughter's cystic fibrosis diagnosis and how a yellow Labrador retriever brought comfort during their family's most challenging period. Through these relationships with beloved animals, Trout reveals lessons about friendship, loyalty, and resilience. The memoir shows how pets served as companions, teachers, and sources of joy throughout pivotal moments in his personal and professional development. Trout offers readers insight into the bonds between humans and animals, demonstrating how these connections provide guidance and affection across a lifetime.
Genres: animals, family-life, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-journey
Setting: Britain, United States
Period: Childhood, Adulthood
304 pages · Kindle Edition · Broadway Books