My Epileptic Lurcher by Des Dillon

I picked this book up second hand, not having come across the title before. It was a good find. It is one of those books that will make you laugh and make you cry, as it tells the story of Manny Riley (a recovering alcoholic and struggling scriptwriter) who after finding love and marriage, moves away from Glasgow to a little seaside village in Galloway. The couple adopt Connor the Collie, and Bailey, a lurcher who ends up having epilepsy. Manny has a bigger journey in coping with Bailey's illness due to his ongoing anger management issues.

The underlying narrative explores Manny's relationships; with his wife, his dogs, his fellow man, and most of all, himself. Humorous, yet heartwarming, escapades and incidents written in such an evocative way it makes the reader feel they are there. Between the hilarity, strains, and dogspeak, the dog-human relationship is beautifully expressed. 5 stars from me!

'My Epileptic Lurcher' is written by Des Dillon, a Scottish author / poet / teacher / writer, born and brought up in Coatbridge, and now lives in Galloway with his wife and two dogs.