Winslow is a self-described “American Gentleman” who lives with married couple Pamela and Frank. He has great manners and never breaks the rules. When a new family member Zippy arrives, he isn’t too pleased, to say the least. And he explains as much in his letters to his Grandma Vivienne. But Vivienne encourages Winslow to set a good example, and for Zippy to follow it in order to remain in good graces with the couple. Zippy must be a good companion because Pamela and Vivienne have issues of their own. But Zippy doesn’t quite follow what’s going on – mostly because she’s a puppy. Oh, and Winslow is an adult dog that already lives with them. Please Write is a debut novel in letters by J. Wynn Rousuck that chronicles a young puppy’s experience from stray animal to beloved “therapy” dog, and how important her growth is to helping the family cope with domestic struggles and illness.
Winslow has been writing to his Grandma Vivienne for quite some time, and his eloquent style of writing shows. Consequently, he has to teach Zippy how to read and write so that she can also write letters to her. And while Winslow does his best to teach Zippy how to behave, she is still a puppy. And she often can’t help herself when it comes to wires, shoes, furniture, etc. Nevertheless, Grandma Vivienne doesn’t give up on Zippy, certain that she will become a wonderful addition to the family.
But both Zippy and Winslow can’t help but observe the goings-on in the household. Frank has a drinking problem. And the dogs don’t know where he goes or why he sometimes doesn’t return for a long time. Pamela struggles with infertility, and her mother is in and out of the hospital due to complications with embolisms. But the women come up with ideas to create something with the help of their fur babies. Pamela comes up with ideas for a children’s book, and Grandma Vivienne works on a cookbook for dog treats. Things seem to be going well, until they aren’t. And Zippy still has a lot of learning to do.
Rousuck proves she has a knack for storytelling via the POV of man’s best friend in Please Write. I’ll be honest – at first, I struggled with taking the story seriously. Two dogs using typewriters to write to their grandmother, who writes back? Really hard to buy into – at least at first. But as I progressed through the story, I saw Zippy’s growth and understanding of the world around her. She wanted to be the best Zippy she can be. And when the serious themes of infertility, grief, and substance abuse come up, readers are reminded of the unconditional love that dogs bring, and how important their companionship can be in times of stress. By the end of the book, Rousuck had completely grasped my heartstrings and reminded me why I’m a dog person.
J. Wynn Rousuck joins us for a Cantina Conversation to talk about why she chose to tell this story and how she developed the recipes for the book. Find the interview on the Cantina Book Club podcast and order Please Write, available now.
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