Marley & Me

August 1, 2005
Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable—and then there's Marley, the subject of this delightful tribute to one Lab who doesn't fit the mold. Grogan, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer
, and his wife, Jenny, were newly married and living in West Palm Beach when they decided that owning a dog would give them a foretaste of the parenthood they anticipated. Marley was a sweet, affectionate puppy who grew into a lovably naughty, hyperactive dog. With a light touch, the author details how Marley was kicked out of obedience school after humiliating his instructor (whom Grogan calls Miss Dominatrix) and swallowed an 18-karat solid gold necklace (Grogan describes his gross but hilarious "recovery operation"). With the arrival of children in the family, Marley became so incorrigible that Jenny, stressed out by a new baby, ordered her husband to get rid of him; she eventually recovered her equilibrium and relented. Grogan's chronicle of the adventures parents and children (eventually three) enjoyed with the overly energetic but endearing dog is delivered with great humor. Dog lovers will love this account of Grogan's much loved canine. Agent, Laurie Abkemeier.

July 15, 2005
Grogan, a columnist for the "Philadelphia Inquirer" and former editor of "Organic Gardening" magazine, offers a humorous and loving tribute to Marley (after Bob Marley), his late 100-pound yellow Labrador. The story begins in south Florida when Grogan and his wife, Jenny, decide to adopt a puppy and begin their search. Marley quickly grows and starts to do things that Grogan interprets as typical puppy behavior -chewing shoes, tearing curtains, and jumping up on people. But after several months, Marley's behavior turns more destructive -during thunderstorms, for example, he chews up pieces of walls and damages doors. Grogan recounts various efforts to correct Marley's behavior over a period of years, interweaving them with events in his wife's and children's lives. Throughout, the family is steadfastly devoted to this badly behaved yet totally lovable and loyal pup. Grogan includes the column from the "Philadelphia Inquirer", written after Marley's death, that elicited many reader responses and spurred him to write Marley's life story. Readers in public libraries whose dogs would qualify for the "Bad Dog Club" will delight in this tribute; recommended. -Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2005
"Oh my, I don't think I've ever seen anything so cute in my life." Thus author Grogan's wife sealed their fate when they "just went to look" at a litter of Labrador retriever puppies and ended up picking out marley. Maybe their first clue should have been that the breeder had discounted the price on their puppy, or when they saw his father charging out of the woods coverded in mud with a crazed but joyous look in his eye. despite these portents, Marley entered their lives, and nothing was ever the same again. Between careening through screen doors and swallowing everything that would fit in his mouth, Marley also managed to comfort these two when they miscarried their first child. Although Marley got kicked out of obedience training after he dragged the instructor across the parking lot and terrorized his pet sitter, he also landed a minor role in a straight-to-video movie. Marley, incorrigible though he was, had inserted himself into the author 's life in a way no normal dog could. A warm, friendly memoir-with-dog.