How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

Sandy: I’ve talked to y’all about this book before - it’s so lovely for the animal lover in your life.  Many of us have a “crush” on her because of her folksy, energetic brilliant life as a naturalist -- she immerses herself with her full body and soul into the lives of animals she seeks to have us better understand: tarantulas, emus, octopuses, giant pigs. But here she talks of 13 animals that have moved and grown her, and 3 are her beloved dogs.  I’m re-introducing this to you now because of her delightful children’s book I’ll tell you about next - it’s NEW and lovely!

Ever since her parents gave her a Scottie puppy, Montgomery’s fascination with the animal world has been insuppressible. Here, she looks at 13 of the most important animals in her life and how they changed her. There’s Molly, the aforementioned Scottie, and Molly and three more beloved dogs, but there’s also a pack of emus, a tarantula, and an octopus named Octavia. Each animal receives its own praise-full chapter. Montgomery consistently depicts nature scenes with awe and shares details about her personal life, including her rocky relationship with her parents.