Australian Aborigines slept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a “three dog night.” …Wikipedia
Abigail Thomas’s memoir, A Three Dog Life, is a story of courage in the face of disaster. Plain-spoken and full of wisdom, the book takes us through terror and eventual acceptance of what never can be changed.
While walking their dog in New York city, Abigail’s husband, Rich, was hit by a car and suffered a shattered skull leaving him with serious and permanent brain damage. He was eventually admitted to an upstate New York care facility that specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries. So that she could be closer to her husband, Abigail moved from their apartment to a house a short distance away from Rich’s new permanent home.
They were married for twelve years before the accident, each with grown children from previous marriages. Now 63, Abigail’s life was irreversibly changed. She observed Rich grind through the various stages of brain damage: psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, aggressive behavior, and rages. He had no memory of what happened to him, nor of the year before. He lost short-term memory so that moments after Abigail left, he had no recollection of their visit. But he did have periods of uncanny perceptions and would say things about what she had been thinking. Abigail found ways to cope and to learn how to live alone. One of the things she did was to acquire two more dogs, making a total of three, and the four of them became a team. She found ways to find pleasure in small things and to find new interests.
I loved this touching and profound memoir. Dealing with this kind of tragedy takes patience and grace. I found author Abigail Thomas’s quiet, droll sense of humor refreshing. She managed to make a new life—not one she preferred, but one that was nevertheless satisfying.