Dean Koontz Memoir A Big Little Life
Dean and Gerda Koontz have been generous donors to Canine Companions for many years. Canine Companions was pleased to receive a $1 million donation this month, with over $6.5 million given to Canine Companions over the past few years.
Everybody knows Dean Koontz. He is an enormously popular novelist with eleven #1 New York Times bestsellers to his credit. But do you know Trixie? She was the Koontz family’s beloved golden retriever, and she had quite a following of her own. A BIG LITTLE LIFE: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog (August 25; $24.99; Hardcover) is Dean Koontz’s first ever nonfiction book and it chronicles the love shared between Dean, his wife Gerda, and their inimitable “Trix,” and the life lessons learned from this unbelievable dog with a megawatt personality.
Trixie Koontz, or “Short Stuff” as Dean often called her, has a unique story. Dean and Gerda adopted Trixie after an injury released her from Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities. As a guest blogger on Dean’s Web site, Trixie attracted her own loyal contingent, and went on to author three books. Her most recent book, Bliss to You, was a New York Times bestseller. Trixie passed away in 2007, and the Koontz family remains a major supporter of Canine Companions. In fact, the Canine Companions campus in Oceanside, California, one of five training centers nationwide, is named the Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus. All of the author proceeds from sales of A BIG LITTLE LIFE will be donated to Canine Companions.
The private life of Dean Koontz has never been the focus of his books—until now. A BIG LITTLE LIFE gives Koontz fans and dog-lovers a never-before-seen look into Dean’s home and family life. He talks about his own past, the inspiration for his writing, his and Gerda’s marriage and business partnership, and their life in southern California with Trixie. Dean’s sense of humor is at its best as he describes his own habits and those of the people closest to him. He is also not afraid to get serious, imbuing the book with a deeper meaning by opening up about his personal beliefs.
In often humorous and always touching language, Dean describes Trixie as a little dog with a huge heart, one that inspired him in many ways. He weaves in stories about the golden retriever’s uncanny ability to recognize good character, her adventurous nature, her love of practical jokes, how well she vogued for the camera, and her stoicism. Trixie became a critic, writer, and entrepreneur and caused Dean to rethink everything he thought he knew about animal psychology. This heartwarming memoir makes it clear that Trixie’s winsome and caring personality was contagious. She affected everyone—human and animal alike—who was lucky enough to cross her path.
For the Koontzes, Trixie was more than a pet. She was a teacher, a furry daughter, and a constant companion. Most of all, Dean says, Trixie restored a sense of wonder to his world. A BIG LITTLE LIFE is a powerful tribute to a beloved family member and will remind readers everywhere that the love of our canine best friends is a love that lasts a lifetime.
Word on the street is that the book is captivating!!! Can't wait to start it.
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