Bespotted : My Family''s Love Affair with Thirty-Eight Dalmatians

A "beautifully written and deeply felt" memoir that "slices to the heart of why the dogs in our lives are so beloved" (Michelle Richmond, author of The Year of Fog ). The Sexton family's long love affair with the Dalmatian breed began on a snowy morning in Linda's childhood. At the family home just outside Boston, Linda heard a whimpering coming from the basement. She discovered their first family dog giving birth to a litter. Witnessing the intimate act of birth had a profound effect on the family. Her mother, the renowned poet Anne Sexton, used the experience to complete the poem "Live," part of her third collection, titled Live or Die , which was later awarded the Pulitzer Prize. For Linda, the boundless joy of both breed and breeding triggered a lifelong love of the distinctively spotted canines. All told, thirty-eight Dalmatians will move through her life: the ones that cheer and support her through difficulty, divorce, and... AN ODE TO DOGS AND FAMILY: A poignant memoir of loving, and being loved by, 38 Dalmatians—from an acclaimed memoirist and the daughter of poet Anne Sexton. “A delight... a book of wisdom for all those who love dogs and people.” —Erica Jong, author of Fear of Flying The Sexton family's long love affair with the Dalmatian began in Linda's childhood. On a snowy morning in the family home just outside Boston, Linda heard a whimpering coming from the basement. She discovered their first family dog giving birth to a litter. Her mother, renowned poet Anne Sexton, used the experience to complete the poem “Live”—part of her third poetry collection, which would be awarded a Pulitzer Prize. For Linda, the boundless joy of both breed and breeding triggered in her a lifelong love of Dalmatians. All told, 38 Dalmatians will move through her life: the ones that cheer and support her through difficulty, divorce, and depression; the ones that stay with her as she enters the world of professional breeding and showing of Dals; and, of course, the one true dog of her heart, Gulliver, her most stalwart of canine champions. Bespotted is a page–turning and compelling look at the unique place dogs occupy in our lives. It captures another piece of this literary family's history, taps into the curious and fascinating world of dog showing/dog fancy. The Sexton family's long love affair with the Dalmatian began in Linda's childhood. There, on a snowy morning in the family home just outside Boston, LInda heard a whimpering coming from the basement. She discovered their first family dog giving birth to a litter. Witnessing the intimate act of birth had a profound effect on the family. Her mother, Anne, used the experience to complete the poem "Live," part of her third collection, titled Live or Die , which would be awarded a Pulitzer Prize. For Linda, the boundless joy of both breed and breeding triggered in her a lifelong love of Dalmatians. All told, thirty–eight Dalmatians will move through her life: the ones that cheer and support her through difficulty, divorce, and depression; the ones that stay with her as she enters the world of professional breeding and showing of Dals; and, of course, the one true dog of her heart, Gulliver, her most stalwart of canine champions. Bespotted is a page–turning and compelling look at the unique place dogs occupy in our lives. It captures another piece of this literary family's history, taps into the curious and fascinating world of dog showing/dog fancy. Bespotted is an upbeat and commercial memoir by one of the most critically acclaimed memoirists of our time. Cover; Title Page; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Prologue; Part I: Mother's Miracles; Chapter One; Chapter Two; Chapter Three; Chapter Four; Part II: Our Very Own; Chapter Five; Chapter Six; Chapter Seven; Part III: Literati Dalmatians; Chapter Eight; Chapter Nine; Part IV: Dog of My Heart; Chapter Ten; Chapter Eleven; Chapter Twelve; Part V: New Beginnings; Chapter Thirteen; Part VI: Keeping the Vigil; Chapter Fourteen; Part VII: Afterward; Chapter Fifteen; Chapter Sixteen; Chapter Seventeen; Part VIII: We Wait; Chapter Eighteen; Chapter Nineteen; Part IX: The Puppy Pen; Chapter Twenty