Book Review: A Home for Gori by Habib Rehman

Book Review: A Home for Gori by Habib Rehman (Spoilers)

Quote: Of course there was no accounting for the trouble that Gori might get into. She was a pup still, inquisitive, alert, her ears cocked to any new adventure or mischief she could get up to. She was also discovering a world in which other strange creature lived, and she was keen to make an acquaintance.

Because I keep playing with my Editor-in-chief's lovely Labrador, she lent me her a book from her 'Doggy Book Collection' to read.

Habib Rehman's memoir of his beloved Spitz Gori and his life through Army and establishing ITC as India's leading hospitality business around the country. From the beginning, actually from the blurb, we know the ending of the tale.

We know Gori is going to heaven after a fatal illness, and it's Habib's way of paying her tribute and building a house that would overlook her resting place.

From the loyal stray bhutya dog in Army named Bullet, to another bhutya Kutty to an arrogant lab Rocco, Rehman loved dogs and rented houses aspiring to have them. But his wife Sukhi had some unfortunate instances with Rocco and Laila, and she grew resentful towards big dogs.

In what we call a compromise and truce by Habib, she brought home a tiny white Gori, who gets misspelled as Gauri by a vet. From the moment of her arrival, Rehman is against her because she is a small dog breed. But everything changes one thunderstorm night.

Over the years I have buried enough pets and strays with my mother to know the pain Rehman felt. What I loved was the prompt thoughtfulness of the future by Sukhi about having pets and their short sweet life.

Simple, honest and warm. The language of the book is of a man who has always wanted to belong and gave his best shot at every relationship, be it his wife or step-grandaughter. Definitely, a privileged point of view and many humans might envy the luxurious life of Gori like the vagabond youths who scared her with a car while she was out on walks. To me a human's love for their dog is almost selfless yet selfish.

The selfishness is, of course, our incapability to let go. And yes you will weep at the end. Hence Maui the lovely cat is determined to eat the book!

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