Hi there! I’m here today to discuss my thoughts about a non-fiction memoir I won from BookishFirst. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**
I talk a lot about BookishFirst. It’s become a bit of a routine to check what books are going to be up for raffle, investigate beforehand, and write my first impressions while I’m home from work on Monday afternoons so I’m waiting over a week to find out if I’ve won anything. It’s brought a lot of joy to me during this pandemic, to say the least. I’ve read a non-fiction that was featured on the site before – a true crime novel A Tangled Web by Leslie Rule, which detailed the events around the murder of Cari Farver. When I saw a non-fiction book up for raffle in early December with dogs on the cover, it immediately piqued my interest. So, I entered to win a copy of When Harry Met Minnie (A true story of love and friendship), and, well, now I’m here to tell you what I thought!
Martha Teichner has been an American television news correspondent with CBS News since 1977. She’s been a proud owner of several bull terriors throughout her life – Piggy, Goose, and then eventually Minnie. Since moving to New York, she would walk her dogs down to the Union Square farmer’s market – without at least 1 dog beside her, she feels incomplete, and sometimes even the passersby only notice her when she’s walking a four-legged friend. In 2016, Martha had to put Goose down, and both she and Minnie were lost without him, so for many months Saturday mornings were left without the market. However, on July 23rd, 2016 she wrestled them both out of the house, and their lives were forever changed when Martha was approached by a man named Stephen, who asked if she’d be willing to take in an aging bull terrior named Harry from his friend, who was dying from cancer.
I really wanted to start this review by talking about Carol – the woman who, without her, the events of this memoir never would have happened. She was the glue to her friendship groups, a woman with a big style and an even bigger heart, and someone who was always putting the needs of others, especially those she loved, before her own. I knew from the start of this memoir it was going to be difficult watching the progression of Carol’s illness, watching her chapter by chapter lose her strength while trying to hold on as long as she could. She touched the lives of countless individuals, including Martha, leaving behind incredible memories – “Memories are our true remains, to be treasured, to be shared, to dim, and, eventually, to be lost, when no one is left to remember.**[please see note below]” This is a story about being in the right place at the right time, with the right people around. It’s a story about Minnie and Harry meeting for the first time, and, through subsequent visits, learning to enjoy each other’s company as if they’d lived together forever. But it’s also a story about Martha learning about Carol, so close to the end of her life and wishing she’d been around earlier or had more time to get to know this remarkable human being. It truly is a powerful story about love and friendship, in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. I didn’t expect to becomes so emotional, but that is a nod to Teichner’s storytelling and the way she was able to capture my attention as a reader the whole way through.
I often find reviewing non-fiction, especially memoirs, can be particularly difficult, because essentially you are critiquing a person’s life story that they have, for whatever reason, chosen to share publically with the rest of the world. While I loved Teichner’s story, I did find a few tangents to be a little unnecessary – I can understand why she decided to include them, as they help establish herself as a character within her own story, but sometimes I felt they were a little out of place. The ending also felt a bit rushed, which, again, I understand why (because after Carol’s death, events did appear to occur rather rapidly), I just felt like the rest of the book had an established pace that was a little thrown off towards the end. Please proceed with caution if you have recently lost a loved one, a pet, or have a particular connection to 9/11, as some events may be a bit triggering (athough, of course, you will know your comfort levels with approaching these topics better than I would, so please do not let that deter you if you were thinking about picking this book up).
Martha Teichner’s powerful memoir, When Harry Met Minnie, truly touches upon love, loyalty, friendship, and canine companions. It’s a story to remind us why we love the way we do, how sometimes we wish we had more time, and how one person can impact the lives of so many, even long after they are no longer with us. When Harry Met Minnie is set to be released on February 2nd, 2021 (which is the day this post goes live, if I finish writing it on time), so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy for yourself. *Thank you to Bookishfirst and the publisher, Celadon Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
**As this is a quote from the book, I have to acknowledge that it is from an advanced reader’s copy, and that all quotes should be checked with the finished copy to ensure accuracy, I just thought it was appropriate to include at the time
Where to find When Harry Met Minnie:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Macmillan
Thoughts About Things 