Book
Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog
By Emily Dean
“A wonderful and very special book that made me squeak with laughter and had me in floods of tears”
“Both very funny and moving, Emily Dean’s writing will make you laugh, cry and stroke your dog (or any dog)”
Emily Dean was not quite eight years old when she realised she would never be part of a dog family. Dog families mowed the lawn, asked if you had done your homework, kept a stack of coins for parking in a dedicated tray in their Volvo and rose early on Sundays to take their golden retrievers for bracing walks.
Instead Emily had an unusual, bohemian childhood, growing up with an actor mother and a TV broadcaster father.It taught her many things: how to ignore unpaid bills; be the most entertaining dinner guest and deconstruct poetry.But it wasn’t the kind of childhood that could include her longed-for dog. Emily’s older sister Rachael was the centre of Emily’s world and a rare source of stability.The sisters’ bond grew even closer in adulthood even though they came to lead very different lives.
Rachael formed the perfect ‘dog family’ with two children and a treasured half-pug, half-chihuahua called Giggle.Emily was the glamorous auntie, a journalist with a hectic social life who never felt ready enough to look after anything.Dogs meant commitment and constancy –two things that eluded her.
Then tragedy hit. Rachael was suddenly diagnosed with stage-four cancer –she died less than a month later, at 43. Within just three years both Emily’s parents died too. Her extraordinary, eccentric, beloved family had all gone.
Everybody Died, So I Got a Dogis a beautifully written, funny, heartbreakingstory of love, loss and starting again.In her search for a way to emerge from grief Emily finally got a puppy –an adorable shih-tzu called Ray, who has given her hope and finally, her very own dog family. This is an astonishing story, perfectly told. And it’s one which will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
Emily Dean is a radio presenter, podcaster and journalist. She is Frank Skinner’s co-host on the award-winning Frank Skinner Show (Absolute Radio) and currently presents a hugely successful podcast for The Times called Walking the Dog. She spent eight years as Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine and has written for titles such as The Times, The Evening Standard and Youmagazine. She lives in London, supports Arsenal and her career highlight was when Mark Gatisscalled her 'sci-fi royalty' due to her childhood role in BBC cult series The Day of the Triffids.
Emily Dean says: ‘I always talked about writing a book “one day”. Just like I always talked about getting a dog “one day”. But it took the worst of times for me to finally get off my butt and do both of those things. I wanted to share my story with anyone who has ever felt a bit different. Anyone who knows what it’s like to lose someone they love. And anyone who’s been helped through a bad day by watching a dog being utterly silly.Sometimes saviours come in unexpected forms–and mine just happened to be a miniature Chewbacca with a terrible snore.’