Eat, Pray … and Find a Dog
Why are dogs so “eager and easy to please?” wonders Amy Webb, the animal- loving protagonist of A Dog in Georgia by Lauren Grodstein (Algonquin Books, $29). “Some quirk in their evolution told them they were best beloved when they were most of use; some quirk in her own evolution, she knew, told her the same.” For much of her adult life, 46-year-old Amy, a food writer, cook, and former model, has tied her self-worth to her usefulness—usefulness to her charismatic restaurateur husband Judd, to her beloved stepson Ferry, and even to Ferry’s absent, drug-addicted birth mother. Grodstein’s last novel was the acclaimed Warsaw Ghetto story, We Must Not Think of Ourselves. This charming, timely sixth novel feels lighter without being fluffy, the story of a woman striving to untangle her own desires from others’ needs.
Amy’s journey of self-discovery takes her from her home in New York City to Tbilisi, Georgia. Fed up with Judd’s philandering—after discovering risqué photos on his phone—she comforts her- self by scrolling through animal videos online. Her chief interest is a missing Georgian mutt named Angel, known for loyally escorting neighborhood children to school. After becoming a regular donor to the “Justice for Angel” rescue group, she sets off to find him herself.
She is clearly searching for more than a dog.
Hopeful and naïve, Amy arrives in Tbilisi at a charged moment. Russia has recently invaded Ukraine, emboldening Putinists in Georgia to crack down on civil liberties. Tensions have mounted between autocrats and protestors determined to safeguard their country’s independence. Mostly ignorant of the situation, Amy moves in with Irine—a school principal who organized Angel’s campaign—in a house packed with two- and four-legged inhabitants: Irine’s firebrand teenage 38 Ldaughter, Maia, several Georgian grand- mothers, a handsome Russian boarder named Andrei, and about a dozen dogs. Despite her vast experience volunteer- ing in animal shelters, Amy soon learns that her drones, leashes, and American savior mentality are of little use in her foreign surroundings. As Amy wanders the streets of Tbilisi, Grodstein paints a vivid portrait of a city and its people.
Her descriptions of Georgian food are particularly enticing. In one memorable scene, Maia takes Amy to a bustling pub where a local “spooned two huge dumplings on her plate, then pureed beets that smelled like a million cloves of roasted garlic, and roasted peppers gleaming with oil … Amy shoved some food into her mouth and emitted a tiny but very realmoan.” In these moments, we see Amy gradually let her guard down, indulging in pleasures that no longer feed an urge to satisfy anyone but herself.
And yet, the novel is not escapist fare. Through richly crafted characters, Grodstein creates a complex depiction of Georgian society during a time of upheaval. In the hands of a less skilled writer, the people Amy meets in Tbilisi might have felt like caricatures. However, Grodstein renders them as multi-faceted individuals—from “wolf-eyed” Andrei, who left his family in Russia to escape the draft, to idealistic Maia, a young revolutionary determined to fight for her country’s freedom. And then, there’s Amy’s host, Irine, who tries to quash dissent in her school and at home, a response rooted in loss.
As Amy is drawn into these characters’ lives, her quest to find Angel ultimately transforms into something deeper. If the final reveal feels a bit on the nose, Amy’s realization of personal agency resonates strongly. This is a summer read to savor: Come for Tbilisi’s “noble furry friend.”
Stay for the affecting portrayal of a woman reclaiming her own life.
Kate Schmier is a writer from Metro Detroit who lives in New York City.
