THE PIG AND I

Author: Rachel Toor ISBN: 1594630089 2/2005 CHICK LIT Publisher: HUDSON STREET PRESS

The Pig and I follows the hilly course of Yale-educated single girl Rachel Toor’s love affairs with a series of unusual pets, and the string of boyfriends who bear an uncanny resemblance to them, both in looks and temperament. There’s Charlie, a rich albeit mousy male, who turns out to be such a pushover that he allows Rachel to walk all over him without so much as a squeal, and to whom Rachel shows far less affection than to her pet mouse, Prudence. Patrick, the kind but dull manager of a typesetting business who Rachel falls for at the same time she finds Hannah, a cuddly but quiet canine mutt. Then there’s Jonathan, the nerdy, brilliant doctor who was almost “the one,” and whose role as co-parent to Emma, the pot-bellied pig, becomes pivotal to Rachel’s quest for happiness and self-satisfaction. As Rachel falls for each pet, and each man, the truth of her question asserts itself as the human love fades and her love for the animal—and her acceptance of herself—grows stronger. Any woman who has experienced the pure joy of loving an animal and the often-less-than-pure joy of loving a man will recognize herself in Rachel; any woman who has fallen for a man for all the wrong reasons will chuckle as she sees her own flawed judgment writ large. Heartfelt and hilarious, The Pig and I will be cherished by pet lovers and romantic realists alike.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE PIG AND I isn't your normal fare of Chick Lit. Instead, it is an autobiographical look through the eyes of a Harvard educated woman, at her relationships with men and their nonhuman counterparts as they weave their way in and out of her life. Humorous at times, but also thought provoking, THE PIG AND I is written with wit, style and surprising candor.

Being married most of my life to the same man (who is a Malamute, by the way: pack related and strong, but stubborn and hard-to-train), I've not known too many women who've maintained a singular lifestyle and been very happy about it. Or accepted it. Or more importantly, been accepted for it by a society still based on the concept that all adults should come in pairs. But Ms. Toor's insights and analyzations into her own relationships with men give us all quite a lot to think about. Who says you have to have a "significant other" to be happy? Or live the "standard" dream of the little white house, picket fence, and 2.5 kids in the yard? Why can't you be just as content with a canary in a cage, dog at your feet, and a calico cat curled up on your lap?

In THE PIG AND I, Rachel Toor deeply explores her past male relationships, picking them apart and absorbing them, both the good and the bad bits together. Her ability to maintain lifelong friendships with her past lovers is amazing to me; I'm not sure I could do that, and I think it speaks volumes about Ms. Toor's own attitude and character that she can. Her comparisons between her male relationships to the menagerie of animals she has kept over the years is humorous, yes, but it goes much, much deeper than that, and it's that exploration that will give readers the most enjoyment and at the same time, provoke the most self-searching and self-discovery.

THE PIG AND I commences over a period of many years, and is told through the pen of an obviously experienced and gifted writer. A push-over for animals myself, I can easily see how she equates each male persona to its equivalent varmint counterpart, be it a dog, cat, guinea pig or a horse. The relationships she has shared with various members of this menagerie put more than an occasional lump or two in my throat, and were the parts that I think I enjoyed most.

In the end, THE PIG AND I is humorous, heartfelt, original, thought provoking, and entertaining. I highly recommend it.

Nancy Davis