Codi's Journey

Jeff Maziarek came to believe, early on, that his Border Collie, Codi, understood far more about life than people usually assume. During her last year, a series of mystical occurrences seemed to bear that out. This memoir recounts those events alongside the hardships Codi faced in her final twelve months, presenting them as a warm and personal account of their shared life.

The book also looks back at how Codi entered the author's household as a young puppy. Maziarek recalls her spirited personality and a number of memorable adventures from over the years. A photo gallery of 42 captioned pictures follows her life from the night she arrived as a ten-week-old pup to the final week she lived.

Written for dog owners who have seen their pets behave in surprisingly human ways, and for adults who have lost a longtime animal companion, the book aims to convey two main ideas. The first is that animals can be wiser than we give them credit for. The second is that deep, lasting grief after losing a pet is normal, and that people are better served by feeling that sorrow openly than by holding it inside.