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71
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
62/100Critics
81/100Scholars
Author:
Martha Teichner
Publisher:
Celadon Books
Date:
February 2, 2021
There are true fairy tales. Stories that exist because impossible-to-explain coincidences change everything. Except in real life, not all of them have conventional, happily-ever-after endings. When Harry Met Minnie is that kind of fairy tale, with the vibrant, romantic New York City backdrop of its namesake, the movie When Harry Met Sally, and the bittersweet wisdom of Tuesdays with Morrie. There's a special camaraderie among early-morning dog walkers. Gathering at dog runs in the park, or strolling through the farmer's market at Union Square before the bustling crowd appears, fellow pet owners become familiar-as do the personalities of their beloved animals. In this special space and time, a chance encounter with an old acquaintance changed Martha Teichner's world. As fate would have it, her friend knew someone who was dying of cancer, from exposure to toxins after 9/11, and desperate to find a home for her dog, Harry. He was a Bull Terrier--the same breed as Martha's dear Minnie. Would Martha consider giving Harry a safe, loving new home? In short order, boy dog meets girl dog, the fairy tale part of this story. But there is so much more to this book. After Martha agrees to meet Harry and his owner Carol, what begins as a transaction involving a dog becomes a deep and meaningful friendship between two women with complicated lives and a love of Bull Terriers in common. Through the heartbreak and grief of Carol's illness, the bond that develops changed Martha's life, Carol's life, Minnie's life, Harry's life. As it changed Carol's death as well. In this rich and touching narrative, Martha considers the ways our stories are shaped by the people we meet, and the profound love we can find by opening our hearts to unexpected encounters.
What The Reviewers Say
In the midstof a global pandemic and social unrest, cities suddenly seem out of fashion. Stories abound of urban dwellers chucking it all and heading to the country, seeking a safer remove from contagions and other complications of crowded society. That’s why Martha Teichner’s When Harry Met Minnie is such a breath of fresh air. Short and sweet, it’s ostensibly a memoir about an oddball canine romance. Its deeper subject, though, is the romance of cities, particularly New York, where the author has lived for decades.
Teichner’s main themes are sure to warm readers.
One of the delights of life in a big city is the chance encounter. For Martha Teichner, one such interaction changed her life, and When Harry Met Minnie: A True Story of Love and Friendship is her heartfelt tribute to that singular experience.
This is a book not just about friendships but about the hard parts of life, and people helping people --- putting aside one’s own comforts to lessen the hardships of another. It points out how drawn we are to caring for one another.
