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MY DOG TULIP

By J.R. Ackerley

New York Review Books, 190 pages, $12.95 paper

British author and editor J.R. Ackerley had never had a dog before when he became the owner of Tulip, a plucky German shepherd. Though admittedly naive about her care–he took her to the vet to “inquire whether she was in heat”–Ackerley soon grew profoundly attached. Throughout this lively tale, we follow the middle-age author and his moody but loyal companion as they ride double-decker buses through London, go for walks in the country, even stop in at pubs.