When Nan­cy Bal­bir­er learns her beloved eleven-year-old bea­gle has kid­ney fail­ure, she’s dev­as­tat­ed. She and her hus­band had got­ten Ira as a pup­py, a wed­ding gift to each oth­er, and their first for­ay into ​“par­ent­hood.” Now, her dog is ter­mi­nal, her mar­riage is on life sup­port, and Nan­cy is des­per­ate to save them both (whether they want it or not). In a sin­gle year, she los­es her two best friends, but Nan­cy’s life is about to take yet anoth­er unex­pect­ed turn.

With humor and heart, Nan­cy Bal­bir­er shares her sto­ry of rela­tion­ships, loss, and canine friend­ship in this illu­mi­nat­ing mem­oir about the lengths peo­ple will go to keep love alive – and the pow­er of final­ly let­ting go.