Merle's Door

April 9, 2007
Humorous, jubilant and touching by turns, this story of the relationship between man and dog is informed by the author's grasp of animal research and his attachment to Merle, a stray dog he adopted. A Labrador mix, Merle first appeared while the author was on a camping trip. Kerasote (Out There: In the Wild in a Wired Age
), an award-winning nature writer, decided to take his canine friend home to rural Wyoming. This chronicle of their 13 years together is interspersed with studies by animal behaviorists that strengthened Kerasote's desire to see Merle as a responsible individual rather than a submissive pet. Merle set his own eating schedule (though not without early mishap), refused to hunt birds (although not elks) and, according to the author, possessed a range of emotions and sentiments similar to those of humans. Kerasote tends to anthropomorphize Merle's every look and movement, but this narrative is entertaining and Kerasote's strong love for Merle and enthusiasm for life in the wild will win over many readers. Kerasote's joyous relationship with Merle is balanced by a bittersweet account of a close relationship the author had with Alison, a neighbor and fellow dog owner. Kerasote's last weeks with the dying Merle are beautifully rendered.

Starred review from April 15, 2008
When Kerasote and his friends geared up for a boat trip down the San Juan River, he had no idea that a golden-red dog would wander in from the desert and become such an important part of his life. Merle happily joined Kerasote back in Wyoming and became his partner. The dog door that allowed Merle more freedom helped the author learn and understand the complex social life of dogs. Filled with interesting data, this book answers many questions about the domestication of dogs, but the heart of the work is the story of Merle's life in Wyoming. The animal led an idyllic lifewith the Grand Tetons as his backyard, he enjoyed the outdoors with Kerasote, and at night he went to sleep to the twilight serenade of coyotes. Patrick Lawlor's narration adds more tail-wagging enthusiasm to this book. This audio version of the successful 2007 hardcover is sure to be popular with all the canine crew and is highly recommended for all public libraries. [Kerasote's "Out There: In the Wild in a Wired Age" won the National Outdoor Book Award in 2004; "Merle's Door" is also available as downloadable audio from Audible.Ed.]Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 24, 2007
Kerasote, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award, draws on inspirational experiences with his beloved canine companion, Merle, and extensive research in animal behavior to advance the notion that living in harmony with our dogs requires us to embrace—rather than suppress—their natural instincts. Patrick Lawlor delivers an animated performance, both literally and figuratively. His renderings of Merle's incessant pants of enthusiasm evoke the essence of canine loyalty. Lawlor successfully navigates the potentially tricky terrain of the book's anthropomorphism. He gives voice to Kerasote's human interpretations of Merle's expressions and behaviors in a manner that manages to preserve a healthy measure of mystery and wonder. Lawlor does slightly over-reach with regard to his performance of relatively extraneous human dialogue, especially some of the ethnic accents of experts that Kerasote quotes in the text. While not all pet owners may be able to grant the degree of freedom that Kerasote afforded Merle, this heartwarming story will still manage to enlighten and entertain fans of four-legged memoirs. Simultaneous release with the Harcourt hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 9).