Customer Reviews

Biography of a Beagle

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You do not have to be a dog lover to delight in Biography of a Beagle, the latest in a series of books written by Bathurst author Gail MacMillan. Bran, a nickname for Brandy, the irrepressible hero in this life story scampers mischievously through the pages in a series of anecdotes that warm the heart of anyone who was ever owned by a pet. Chosen in the mid nineteen seventies, for the author's youngest daughter, Carol, when the little girl was eight, Bran quickly became a household favourite. His particular interpretation of what it meant to be a Beagle landed him in enough hot water to flood Parkwood Heights, the Bathurst subdivision where the family lived. Fortunately his patient and long-suffering pals always bailed him out.
His frequent 'jail brakes' took him in any of several directions. Whether it was the day he chased a pair of race horses around their paddock until caught by their protector, a Great Dane, or the time Bran returned home dragging a plucked and stuffed ready-for-the oven turkey, the beagle kept the MacMillan family off balance, and the author using her considerable creative ability thinking up excuses. Most of the incidents are funny but some are hilarious, like the morning Bran found the solution for permanently getting rid of an unpopular boyfriend, or when his hunter instincts caused him to flush an unsuspecting nudist from the protective coverage of a summer meadow.
The author and the dog enjoyed a special bond. He was her muse and her confident, and therefore no matter how outrageously his behavior she always forgave him.
The book is illustrated throughout with photographs taken by Gail's husband Ron, a forgiving gesture on his part, since Ron, the disciplinarian, was often the victim of the beagle's own unique form of revenge.
The book is set in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada and follows the little dog throughout his sixteen-years, thus also offering a window on this particular era of a family's history. Biography of a Beagle is a quick read, but Bran is unforgettable.

This is a beautifully written book about a cool, little dog with more personality than most people I know... the lesson that Bran taught the owner about life makes this a book everyone should read - dogs know what most of us take a lifetime to learn! Enjoy.

(I meant to give this five stars - this book deserves it)