Synopsis
From Infinity Publishing.com (USA)&AuthorsOnLine (UK): Pieces of My Heart - Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature by Jim Willis of The Tiergarten Sanctuary Trust
If One Book Can Make a World of Difference for Animals, This Is It -
As a "voice for the voiceless," Jim Willis touches human hearts as deftly as he bonds with the animals he rescues. His writings have inspired animal lovers around the world in over a dozen languages. Now, with publication of his collected writings in the USA and the UK, the Author has made a generous arrangement with the publishers that can benefit the fundraising efforts of all animal rescue, conservation and environmental groups.
In Pieces of My Heart - Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature the author paints an emotional rainbow with a palette akin to Thoreau, Khalil Gibran, James Thurber, Chief Seattle, and James Herriot. Pieces of My Heart encompasses favorites such as "We Are Their Heroes," "How Could You?," "The Basset Chronicles," and "The Zen of Cat," as well as a treasure-trove of new writings. Included is an Appendix of suggestions and resources for helping animals; and a Foreword by Dr. Marc Bekoff, author of Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotions, and Heart and co-founder with Dr. Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals/Citizens for Responsible Animal Behavior Studies. Illustrated by Christine J. Head. (Softcover, 320 pages.)
Pieces of My Heart is a soulful, heartfelt tribute to animals and a plea for compassion. As you immerse yourself in its truths you'll reach for the nearest animal to hug, you'll smile through tears, and you'll feel the urge to run barefoot in the grass.
" All animal-related, conservation, environmental, and advocacy groups may order Pieces of My Heart in modest quantities for resale at the same discount that booksellers receive, by arrangement of the Author. (*Free shipping in both the USA and UK mainland for 20 or more copies.) This special discount is not available through the publishers' websites and you will need to call the publishers to take advantage of the offer.
Telephone: 01992 586788 (UK) - 610 520 2500 or Toll free 877 BUY BOOK (US&CANADA))
Fax 01992 586787 (UK) 610 519 0261(USA&CANADA)
*Please note that the book is being published under two different ISBN numbers Please specify the appropriate ISBN number according to your shipping address (see below). You may also obtain the book through your local bookseller.
UK 0-7552-0040-3
USA&CANADA 0-7414-1015-X
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Sample
Chapter 1
Sweet Suburbia and Beyond.
"How Could You?" was inspired by a nine-year-old Basset Hound adopted by me and my wife on the dog’s "last day" at a kill shelter. We named her “Holly Golightly” and I wondered how anyone could betray such a faithful dog by delivering her to an animal shelter where her fate as a senior dog was almost certain.
In the first year since I wrote and distributed the story it has been published several thousand times in over a dozen languages. It has struck a common chord because it is the composite story of the millions of former pets who die each year in North American shelters. The story has generated mail from around the world and in some countries it is a curiosity because there they have no animal shelters – unwanted animals die in the streets, often cruelly at the hands of the authorities.
One of the best uses of the story to educate the public has been by newspapers that have published it along with photographs taken at local shelters and with related articles on local animal welfare programs and resources. I encourage you to ask your local newspaper to publish it in cooperation with your local humane society or shelter.
Radio station Q107-FM/Toronto disc jockey John Derringer read this story during morning drive-time April 11th 2002 and literally stopped traffic. Some drivers began crying so hard they had to pull off the road and listeners flooded the station with e-mail messages and phone calls. Some reported that their coworkers were still crying when they got to work. Associate producer Ryan Parker wrote "We have never had such a response as we have with that story. In fact we were so saturated by the response that we posted John's reading on our website www.q107.com."
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How Could You?
When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was “bad,” you’d shake your finger at me and ask “How could you?” – but then you’d relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.
My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because “ice cream is bad for dogs,” you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.
She, now your wife, is not a “dog person” – still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a “prisoner of love.”
As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them, especially their touch – because your touch was now so infrequent – and I would have defended them with my life if need be.
I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered “yes” and changed the subject. I had gone from being your dog to “just a dog,” and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now you have a new career opportunity in another city and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You’ve made the right decision for your “family,” but there was a time when I was your only family.
I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said “I know you will find a good home for her.” They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with “papers.”
You had to pry your son’s fingers loose from my collar as he screamed “No, Daddy! Please don’t let them take my dog!” And I worried for him and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.
After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked “How could you?”
They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you – that you had changed your mind – that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.
I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.
She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured “How could you?”
Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said “I’m so sorry.” She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn’t be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself – a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my “How could you?” was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.
May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.
__________
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Reviews
Prepare for a Warm Glow!
"Jim Willis has a keen understanding of the intricate relationships we humans have with animals. His stories and poems resonate on many levels - and keep readers coming back for more. This is a superb collection of works."
Janet Tobiassen DVM, About.com Guide to Veterinary Medicine
"Jim Willis is making a difference in the lives of animals every day. This comes through loud and clear in Pieces of My Heart. Compassionate, spiritual, emotional, heart-wrenching, and insightful, this book will move you in ways you never thought possible. It's an inspirational journey that stays on your mind long after you finish reading. Do animals matter? They do to Jim Willis. And after you read Pieces of My Heart animals will matter to you, too."
Vernon Weir, Development Director, American Sanctuary Association
"In Pieces of My Heart, Jim Willis has opened a window into the heart, mind, and soul of a man who is brother to the creatures he writes about; a man who shares every nuance of their fragile lives; a man who selflessly acts on his beliefs. As you read, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be profoundly moved, and you'll hear pieces of your own heart strumming in response. Listen..."
Franny Syufy, Writer-Editor for Cats at About.com
"Jim Willis makes a connection with the hearts and souls of animals that all humans should strive for. His writings read as if the creatures he so passionately cares for penned them. He powerfully reinforces the concept and importance of the human-animal bond, and that bond is evident in nearly everything he writes. Pieces of My Heart comes closer to speaking the minds of our non-human animal brethren and speaking up for Creation than anything else you'll ever read."
Dick Weavil, Publisher, AnimalTalk newsletter
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Review by Book Publicity Ltd
PIECES OF MY HEART by JIM WILLIS
Pub. Authors On Line Ltd. 2002
ISBN: 0-7552-0040-3
RRP: £14.95;
www.amazon.com US$21.95; www.amazon.co.uk £14.95;
www.authorsonline.co.uk £13.45, all exclusive of postage and packing. Can be ordered in all bookshops.
Biography and Anthology 8/10
“About an animal lover for animal lovers.”
This is an anthology of essays, poetry, homilies and quotations for ‘real’ animal lovers especially those who are sentimental about cats and dogs.
I have always considered myself empathic with family pets, having cared for many and various during my lifetime. However, after reading the Forward by Marc Bekoff, I now perceive some of the animals I have fondled may have resented being handled or touched. Sorry, my feline and canine boys and girls, men and women! This book has made me realise you are not ‘just’ animals, apologies all round!
Reading of the family history of the author, his trials and tribulations of boy to manhood; his thoughts and comments on present day youth and their parents clarifies why Willis appears to favour the world of animals as opposed to that of humans.
Writings inspired by ‘Animals’ and ‘Nature’ need no comment from me, the balance of selected works are a pleasure to read. I always enjoy the occasional quote attributed to Mark Twain. Any articles pertaining to basset hounds also go down well, companionable, friendly breed that they are. My wife and son bought me one for my birthday many years ago. He answered to ‘Lusty’ and had a pedigree longer than most human royalty. He got himself killed by a passing train. I’ve often wondered if it was suicide, he was terminally ill. I missed him for a long while but was pleased to have our couch back. R.I.P. Oastlake Lusty.
Sorry, I digress. The problem I had whilst reading this fine work was in deciding whether Willis was born an animal lover or had it thrust upon him by the vicissitudes of his life. To continue, his piece ‘On Friends’ imparts a homespun philosophy close to this reviewer’s heart. I am one of a quartet of ‘mature’ men who get together to watch sport on television. Our problem is the corks are ‘pulled’ to the extent the game becomes irrelevant. ‘On Friends’ summarises our pleasure in each other’s company very aptly.
On page 197 there is a quote from Winston Spencer Churchill regarding the quality of pigs. Churchill was from a farming family and spoke with knowledge. He would have known both the Miss Piggy of ‘The Muppets’ and the ‘Napoleons’ of Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. My pork chops from now on will have a piquancy hitherto unexperienced.
‘How Could You?’ the short story which inspired this book is extraordinarily famous in the USA and Canada. It brought traffic in Toronto to a halt when DJ Derringer broke down whilst reading it in concert with his commuting listeners. The yarn which launched a thousand sobs can be heard on http://www.q107.com/q107_derringer.html
Jim Willis and his wife run the Tiergarten Sanctuary Trust in Germany and are very active in protecting animals in the United States. ‘Pieces of my Heart’ is autobiographical, and whilst appealing for compassion towards animals, is also full of righteous bon mots and sermons for life from a deeply Christian aspect.
People who love animals in the UK tend to fall into two schools of thought. The first do not anthromorphise their pets and dislike Disneyfication, the others do. It is to the latter category this work will appeal.
For others, the insights into American life provided by a detailed account of Willis’s family’s medical mishaps will explain his dedication to the cause close to his heart.
One thing bothers me. Why are only domestic animals discussed? I would have expected to see more on wildlife, especially their conservation.
Buy the book, read and enjoy!
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