by SOPHIE BIRD
For all the joy they bring, it’s a sad truth that pets’ lives are much shorter than our own. In “Lock Ness!” and Other Tales of Nessie the Scottie (BookLocker, 2019), Bloomington resident and Bloom contributor Lee Ann Sandweiss explores the loss of her own pet and offers a guiding hand for those experiencing similar grief.
From the first page, readers know that the book’s namesake Scottish Terrier has died. Through a series of stories about her beloved Nessie, Sandweiss shines a light on an often unaddressed kind of grief with humor and candor.
With loving attention to detail, Sandweiss regales readers with tales of gnawed-on carpets, thrilling deer chases,
tense trips to the vet, and the intimate daily routines that made up Nessie’s life. In the process, she weaves a tale of companionship in which both she and readers learn something about love, loss, and making the most of the things that matter in life.
For those familiar with the tender, mundane, sometimes frustrating, and all- too-fleeting moments of pet ownership, Lock Ness! pays homage to the way our pets seem to take over every aspect of our lives—and how glad we are for it.
Lock Ness! can be purchased on Amazon. A portion of proceeds will benefit the St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue.