Anyone who has ever loved a dog will love LILY AND THE OCTOPUS. It is full of emotion, poignancy and those bittersweet moments all of us have experienced with our dogs. Furry little Lily is a charming yet opinionated character, one to be reckoned with, for sure. Her friend, Ted Flask, knows what a special creature he has and how fortunate he is to be given the years to share with her. His life pretty much revolves around Lily. Actually, lately, his focus may have become a bit too obsessive. (“Thursday nights are the nights my dog, Lily, and I set aside to talk about boys we think are cute.”) Well, each of us approaches the dog/human relationship differently.

"Dog lovers will discover that LILY AND THE OCTOPUS is easily the book at the top of this summer’s reading list. And if you’re not a dog lover, it’s still the book for you. It’s simply that good."

But it’s one of those Thursday nights that are set aside to talk about cute boys that Ted first notices the octopus. He realizes his dog has grown old, but now she has grown an octopus. On her head. Horrified, he tries to shoo it away, scare it off of her and plead with it to leave, but it won’t budge. Instead, it seems to mock him, taunt him and grip Lily even tighter. Panicked, Ted gropes blindly for answers. Ever since he broke off a six-year relationship with Jeffrey, he’s been groping --- for direction, for connections, for happiness. His friends have been pushing him to get out more, have some fun and meet new people. But his attempts at dating have been lethargic, to say the least. More and more, it’s as if he’s just going through the motions.

Ask him, and he’ll tell you he just wants to get home to Lily and forget the whole dating scene. It’s not that he’s numb or jaded. It’s not that he doesn’t know how to love. He loved Jeffrey --- fiercely. And he loves Lily --- fiercely. But there’s that awful thing called loss. That he can’t handle. Now, since that Thursday night, thoughts of the octopus have been consuming him. The evil octopus that clings to his dog’s head, hanging on tightly, its eight arms dangling down her face. With every ounce of resolve, Ted vows that it will not take Lily.

They explore all of the medical options available to them. None, as we know, are good. But miracles can happen. Something may be able to defeat the octopus, especially given the right weapons. So Ted will fight. Yes, he will fight that hateful octopus to the end. In fact, the fight that Ted puts up to save Lily is truly epic.

Heartwarming and beautifully written, LILY AND THE OCTOPUS is all the more endearing in that it’s based on a true story. Author Steven Rowley has dedicated the book “For Lily,” his Lily, quite obviously a giant of a dog in his eyes, never mind her tiny size. Dachshunds, after all, don’t come very big (except in personality). Readers will feel Rowley’s deep passion for Lily and will want to champion Ted’s cause, yell at the octopus along with him, fight the good fight for this tough little dog and for any dog who ever had to jump in the ring and go 10 rounds with an octopus.

Dog lovers will discover that LILY AND THE OCTOPUS is easily the book at the top of this summer’s reading list. And if you’re not a dog lover, it’s still the book for you. It’s simply that good.