About this item
After adopting an Irish sight hound, Laura Schenone discovers a remarkable and little-known fight to gain justice for dogs and for all animals.Greyhounds, bred to be the fastest racing dogs on earth, are streaks of lightning. Beautiful, astonishing creatures, tens of thousands of them have been abandoned and destroyed every year once they can no longer compete and win.The Dogs of Avalon introduces us to the strong-willed Marion Fitzgibbon, born in rural Ireland, where animals are valued only for their utility. But Fitzgibbon believes that suffering is felt by all creatures, and she champions the cause of strays, baffling those around her -- including her family -- as she and a group of local women rescue any animal in need and taking on increasingly risky missions.When Fitzgibbon becomes head of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and focuses on the cause of the greyhound, she faces an entrenched racing industry protected by money and power. She joins forces with an American greyhound activist, a foxhunter's wife, a British lady, and an influential German animal rescuer to create an international network to find these animals homes, confront the racing industry, and provide safe havens where animals can live in peace.The Dogs of Avalon brings forward the people on the other side of the tracks -- Irish Travellers (a people whose Celtic history goes back centuries) , dogmen who hope to win big -- together with a host of animals on two continents -- circus tigers in Ireland, wild monkeys in the Yucatan, dolphins in a marine animal park in Florida, and one very special Irish sight hound in New Jersey named Lily.In this potent David and Goliath story, Schenone's journey helps us understand our deep connection to animals and gives us inspiration in the form of the unforgettable Fitzgibbon, who grapples with compassion and activism and shows the difference we are all capable of making in the world.
About the Author
What can I tell you about me? I decided to become a writer when I was twelve. A poet, I thought, or perhaps a novelist, or journalist. I wasn't sure. After college, I freelanced for national and regional magazines and newspapers. I eventually began writing nonfiction books because real life is so unbelievable, and I have a lot of questions.I am the author of three books of nonfiction published by W.W. Norton & Co. The first, A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove: A History of American Women Told Through Food, Recipes, and Remembrances (2003) was inspired by the time I spent living in a pre-Civil War farmhouse wondering about all the women before me who cooked for and fed the human race. The book was featured in many national and regional news outlets including The New York Times and NPR. It won a James Beard Book Award. Al Roker even came to my house to make pudding.Next, I wrote a memoir about my quest to find a long lost family recipe. It was a project that conveniently required travel to Italy. The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken (2007) was featured in Saveur, Food and Wine, Good Housekeeping, Elle, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, and Reader's Digest. It was selected as a Newsday Cookbook of the Year. Adriana Trigiani called it "an elegant masterpiece," and Newsweek called it "a feast for the mind and the heart, as well as the palate." The time I spent exploring Genoa and learning from pasta makers there was a joy beyond measure.My latest book takes a new direction. It came about when, perhaps symbolically, I was selling a vintage stove. The woman who came to buy it told me she brought over greyhounds from Ireland who needed homes. We became friends and eventually, she and my husband convinced me to adopt an Irish sight hound named Lily for my animal-loving oldest son. Through Lily, I met Marion Fitzgibbon in Ireland and many animal rescue people around the world. For the most part, I thought they were out of their minds. And yet, I was fascinated by their passion and sense of justice for those who cannot speak for themselves. The world is radically changing its views of animals. Who were these people who were leading the way? The Dogs of Avalon: The Race To Save Animals in Peril, will be published by W.W. Norton, August 22, 2017 in the U.S. and October 6th in the UK and Ireland. I live with my family in New Jersey, where I love to read, grow vegetables in my front yard, walk Lily, and spend time with my family and friends. Visit my website at lauraschenone.com.
