First published 2008
Gil lives with four dogs and acts like he's twenty-two despite being forty-seven. His dog Jimmy can talk and teaches other neighborhood dogs how to manipulate their owners. Gil sees a business opportunity in Jimmy's talents. Then Jimmy learns he's adopted. The dog realizes Gil isn't his real father and they aren't even the same species. Jimmy decides he wants to meet his birth mother. The problem is that his mother belongs to Gil's ex-wife, who now lives in Malibu with her new husband. Gil must help his favorite dog reconnect with family, even though it means dealing with his sexy former spouse. The journey forces both Gil and Jimmy to face uncomfortable truths about identity and belonging.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary, comedy
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Malibu
Period: 21st-century
182 pages · ebook · Villard