Zoe's Good-bye

Zoe's Good-bye by Schlangen, Mary. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781592981106.

When a girl is faced with the reality that her beloved dog and lifetime companion, Zoe, is old and dying, she cannot bear to let her go. She remembers the vibrant, energetic, and happy dog that Zoe once was. During what would be their last night together, they meet a mysterious dog musher and his exuberant team of sled dogs. The musher offers to take them on a midnight ride. Because Zoe is so frail, she begins the journey as a passenger in the sled. When the team takes a moment to experience the magic of the winter night, Zoe refuses to ride any further. Instead, this beloved old dog wants to pull the dogsled. The girl surrenders her opposition and lets Zoe go. She discovers that Zoe can run with the wind, as she did when she was young. Her old body is restored to the vibrancy of days long forgotten, and the girl sees that Zoe is free. Free from illness, free from pain, free to run. However, for the girl, this exhilarating night cannot last forever. When they return home, the girl knows that she must say good-bye, and trust Zoe to the care of the gentle musher. Zoe’s Good-bye takes the reader to a place that few stories about pet loss do. It leaves the reader with a sense of peace in believing that such an afterlife may exist. Perhaps in their afterlife our companions are whole again, and free to enjoy the things they loved while alive. The ending lends a magical note to the story, which may help the reader to apply the real message of this heartwarming story to their own loss. Pet lovers young and old will have their heartstrings tugged by "Zoe’s Good-bye."