Let's Take the Long Way Home

Let's Take the Long Way Home (2010) by Gail Caldwell. Although her writing is somewhat stiff and self-centered, Caldwell does eventually get around to telling the touching story of her friendship with the writer Caroline Knapp, and Knapp's subsequent death from cancer. The pair were well-matched: they were both writers, both loved dogs, and both loved water sports. Both were also ex-drinkers. They formed a particularly close friendship, described in the book, and Knapp's death was a body blow to Caldwell, who describes her grieving process in eloquent language. This is a slender volume, but not really what I would call an easy read. It takes a long time to get around to the business at hand, and then the business it gets around to is not easy to read about. But it's a good book. Anyone who loves dogs or who has suffered a loss could gain from reading it. Grade: B