Once I read the description, I was eager to read this story. People writing letters with their dogs? I love dogs, so much so that I work with them for a living. I thought for sure I was the target audience. After listening to this audiobook, I’m honestly not sure who the intended audience actually is. Aside from the poignant and adult story found in between the lines in the letters, there were too many political references for this to have been a children’s story, but then there’s Zippy. Oh, my dog, Zippy. The way Zippy was written, and then further how she was narrated, oh my. A little of that went a long way. Unfortunately, there was far more than just a little Zippy in this story. I kept waiting for that to get better, or at least to get used to it, but it was nails on a chalkboard the whole way through for me.

If you’re an adult who really likes children's story hour, this might be perfect for you.

Thank you J. Wynn Rousuck, Bancroft Audiobooks, and NetGalley and for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This audio book is presented in letters being written back and forth between two dogs and their human grandmother, Vivienne. Winslow is a very proper Boston Terrier and Zippy is the wild thing (Jack Russell Terrier Cross) that has suddenly appeared in his life in order to turn it upside down. Frank and Pamela are Winslow's and Zippy's humans and are going through some tough times in their marriage. Winslow is much more introspective and understands the trouble Pamela and Frank are having, where as Zippy is a crazy busy yippy fiery fur ball who is all puppy and doesn't quite get what's going on. Grandma Vivianne is always admonishing Zippy to listen to Winslow saying she could learn something from this intelligent older dog. But Zippy has a hard time listening, she is set on high vibration. It's a sweet story and I loved how the author let us see the humans through a dogs eyes and how funny their interpretation of what they saw could sometimes be. There is also some serious stuff that all the human characters go through. The dogs are always there to help their humans, just like in real life. You don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy this touching story. Recommended.

Please Write is the first novel by American theatre critic and author, J. Wynn Rousuck, and is presented in letters. The audio version is narrated by Nancy Dhulipala, Initially, it’s Winslow, a very proper Boston terrier who lives in Baltimore with Pamela, a theatre critic, and Frank, a landscape architect, who writes to inform Grandma Vivienne of an interloper in their happy one-dog household. Grandma Vivienne, it gradually becomes clear, is the alter-ego of Pamela’s mother, a recently widowed teacher living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

The interloper, a stray brought home by Frank, possibly a West Highland Terrier/Jack Russell Terrier mix, is eventually (and appropriately) named Zippy. Grandma Vivienne begins writing to Zippy, over the three years that follow, encouraging her to learn to read and type (with help from an ever-patient Winslow), sending treats, toys, reassurance and helpful advice on how not to annoy Pamela or Winston, whose footnotes to Zippy’s replies usually detail Zippy’s transgressions, and bemoan his poor success in mentoring the new pup.

To begin with, the letters deal with incidents in and around the household, with Zippy expressing joy, confusion, indignance, fear and annoyance, depending on the subject: treats, time-outs in her crate, perceived unfair punishment, misunderstood expressions, or baths, to name but a few. With two rounds of Puppy Kindergarten, Zippy’s correspondence improves markedly, although her behaviour, less so: chewing of electrical cords, designer boots, and Winslow’s favourite jumper takes some effort to correct.

Winston’s (and Zippy’s, as she becomes more adept) comments also reveal a potential problem in Frank and Pamela’s marriage. Reported absences turn out to be due to Frank’s unfortunate addiction, and mean that Pamela needs a lot of comfort: fortunately, both Winslow and Zippy gladly step up. This family does suffer its share of trauma…

Lots of topics provide humour: a mouse in the kitchen; camp; agility trials tryouts; and a letter to the new President suggesting a presidential dog, among other things. Pamela tries her hand at children’s fiction, a book starring Zippy, the first chapter of which gets very positive reviews from both the star and Winslow, while Pamela’s mother delights them both with seasonal treats, and the suggested cookbook catches the interest of a publisher.

Zippy, by this time quite articulate, has suggestions for recipe names:
“Zippy even thinks you should name a recipe for Winslow.
Something Zippy doesn’t like.
Something with broccoli.”
Dog owners will be delighted with the many recipes included in the letters.

Any reader familiar with Richard Glover’s book, Love, Clancy, will enjoy the style and format, and while there is plenty of humour, the problems the humans face are relatable and not unrealistically solved for a happy ever after ending. In fact the most hard-hearted reader may shed a tear at the last line.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bancroft Audiobooks.

*Listened to an advanced audiobook copy, provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story told through correspondence between 2 dogs, Winslow and Zippy, and their human Grandma Vivienne.

Not only was this enjoyable (I found myself laughing out loud several times), but this was also a creative take on a story told through the perspective of a dog but done well enough mixing anthropomorphized traits and realistic breed tendencies. As a professional dog trainer (mostly human trainer ;), I found the character traits of Winslow and Zippy to be fitting and fairly accurate. I have clients just like these two! 💜

The narrator did a great job differentiating the 3 distinct voices for the characters. Some reviewers point out a high-pitched voice for a hyper puppy, which can be annoying but is characteristically apt. I also felt the narrator did a great job describing posters and greeting cards included in the physical copy that are visually unavailable for listeners.

Dog owners frequently wish they could communicate verbally with their pups, and I feel this story does a great job describing what that could look like while still maintaining the integrity of what actual pet dog ownership looks like. I truly appreciated the details that went into the expectations when: adding a new dog into the home and with an older dog already present, addressing puppy training, overcoming holidays with dogs, traveling with dogs, needing boarding and day camps, utilizing how dogs help humans cope with very heavy human issues, and finding the right jobs for each dog's genetic makeup and skill set so they can live a fulfilled life alongside us.

Political issues ARE present in the story, but so are many other human/adult issues. They are told from Grandma's perspective, not the dogs (which is where most dog perspective writing fails for me). They are contextually relevant to the time frame and current affairs (1990-1993) and tied into how the dogs are currently behaving. I think the author handled this really well with the flow of the story.

I can't wait to recommend this as a fun but relatable read to clients and friends alike. Dogs are truly an extension of our lives, and this story shows that throughout!

Please Write: A Novel in Letters
by J. Wynn Rousuck, narrated by Nancy Dhulipala

I love Zippy, the Westie/Jack Russel Terrier mix and Winslow, the purebred Boston Terrier (always in a tuxedo). Zippy is high octane excitement all the time, Winslow is dignity dogified. Winslow has been writing to Vivienne for a long time when his person, Frank, brings home a wet and ragged Zippy. Frank's wife Pamela isn't impressed but Zippy quickly wins her over.

That doesn't mean that Zippy isn't a holy terror (terrier...Zippy pun). Winslow does his best to rein her in and he also teaches Zippy to type to Vivienne, too. Through these letters between Winslow, Zippy, and Vivienne, we get to learn of the life of Winslow, Zippy, Frank and Pamela. This life is not running smoothly, there are serious problems in the marriage and Pamela's mom has health problems.

Also there is the saga of Zippy and her various training sessions. And her evictions from various events. And her time outs due to chewing, chasing, barking, and other Zippy fun times.

The narration took me a bit to get used to because of Zippy's extremely energetic voice. But it allows us to know Zippy and all her super powered energy. At first Winslow seemed way too staid but he's a great counterpoint to Zippy and I came to appreciate his calm voice in this story. I will say this story is way too heavy with the politics. I could handle a little bit of politics but it's slathered way too thickly throughout the book. What I do love are the doggie treat recipes, with plenty of complete recipes.

There is a lot of tension in the household and I'd call this a life goes on even when it doesn't kind of book. There is no resolution to some issues and for others, Zippy is just going to have to learn that things change and those things are not always to her liking. Actually a lot of things aren't to her liking but I understand because this is a stressed out and stressful household. Thank goodness for Zippy and Winslow in the life of their loved ones. 3.5 stars rounded to 4

Thank you to Bancroft Audiobooks and NetGalley for this ARC.

This audiobook was so clever - - a story told between letters to/from Winslow, a Boston Terrier and Zippy, a rescued terrier mix puppy and their beloved Grandma Vivienne. The dogs’ personalities were off the charts adorable and the narrator portrayed their two unique personalities perfectly. The story was entertaining, heartwarming and also heartbreaking at times. It dealt with some serious issues (loss of pregnancy, addiction, illness) in a thoughtful way. I’ve never read/listened to anything quite like this and absolutely loved it. I think any pet lover would appreciate this unique audiobook.

This was a sweet little book about a two dog writing letters to their grandma.
When I first got it, I did not expect the deep subjects. They touch on issues in the marriage, with alcohol, and grief.
I did find the younger dog, Zippy, a little annoying in the beginning. But Winslow was a true gentleman. It did come across as a book for younger audience, maybe something a parent can read with their child. A great book for dog lovers.
I did enjoy the audio book and the narrator did a good job. She made the two dogs personalities come through in her narration.

3.5 rounded up.

'Please Write' was a sometimes silly, ultimately moving story about life, death, grief, addiction, hope, and messy relationships.

Premise - a couple's difficult relationship viewed through the eyes of their two dogs, written in an epistolary style

Given the premise, the story is at times quite silly. It takes a long while to get warmed up and Zippy's early letters are grating. Winslow, the elder dog, was by far my favorite character and he was the one I clung to as I considered whether or not to keep reading.

Ultimately I did keep reading, mostly because it was an ARC so I felt an obligation, and I'm glad that I did. The second half of the story becomes quite literary and while it's still told through a childish lens, it's a moving story of loss (late term miscarriage, the deaths of both grandparents) and the pain in loving someone who's ill (Frank, the husband, is an alcoholic who relapses after what seem to be rock bottoms). The ending is abrupt, but so is death and so it felt very apt.

By the time the story ended, I really felt for Winslow, Zippy, and Grandma Viv. I felt sad, but also hopeful. I'm not a dog mom, but I am a real mom and it made me want to hug my daughter a little closer. A story's ability to move its reader is an incredible thing and well worth rounding up the extra half a star.

Thanks, NetGalley and Bancroft Press, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to this fun audiobook! The story is told through letters between two dogs, Zippy and Wilson, and their grandmother, Vivianne (their owner, Pamela's mother). The letters tell the story from primarily the dog's perspectives but in between the chaos of Wilson teaching Zippy about life and Zippy getting into puppy trouble, there are narratives about relationship issues, alcoholism, and grief. The narrator did a great job with this unique story and gave the two dogs their own unique voices, helping with the entertainment piece and giving the dogs their own personalities. This is the perfect book for pet owners who treat their pets like children and talk through them. A fun book I would definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to and review this audiobook!

I finished listening to this book in one sitting . The narrator did a great job with the different voices for the dogs and though Zippy was done with a more child like voice it made sense to me as this dog was hyper , young and a it out of control . In this story we have 6 characters Pamela, her husband Frank , Zippy and Wilson the dogs, Pamela’s mother and her persona or possibly her dog Gramma Vivianne. Gramma Vivianne and Wilson also h with Zippy are exchanging letters and they talk about their troubles and worries as dogs but also wondering about how to best care for their owners and their relationship issues , and Franks alcohol problems. Pamela is writing to her mother under the persona of her dogs to help her cope and communicate with her mother . Her mother and her work on books together for children and a recipe book for dogs homemade food . As a dog owner who treats her dog as her child I can relate to talking through and to your dog . This book is good for adults or children to help indirectly discuss difficult topics such as marital problems ,addiction and death.

***** I received this audiobook free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I REALLY wanted to like this book. Anyone who knows me knows I have a soft spot for dogs. I thought the idea of letters written by dogs was really clever.

The story fell flat for me. I didn’t mind the letters from the older dog. Zippy the puppy made me crazy! It was even worse with the child type voice the narrator used in the audiobook. I was very disappointed.