The Blue Leash: A Year of Mourning
Winner - American Book Fest - Best Book Award 2023 - Animal/Pet: General
Finalist - American Book Fest - Best Book Award 2023 - Non-fiction: Cross-Genre
The Blue Leash: A Year of Mourning
May 23rd is Kuma’s birthday. He would have been 16 years old. I wrote The Blue Leash: A Year of Mourning, as my tribute to him, not knowing I would still miss him so much 4 1/2 years later. I love him, and I still think of him every day. As I mention to those who write me, I am grateful for every reader who has sent me kind reviews and support, and especially those voices who have messaged me on Facebook to share their own pain in losing their best friend. Your pictures are priceless! Thank you! Here are a few more recent comments:
“Read this. Loved it. Thank you for letting me know I'm not alone in my intense love for all my fur babies.” – Robyn B.
“Best book I’ve ever read that was the closest to reaching where it hurts. I’ve recommended this book over and over. I loved it.” – Susan H.
“I finished your book last night and it truly resonated with me! I can’t thank you enough for sharing your story about Kuma! Nico was my world, the love of my life and your book truly has helped to verify how I feel about his loss and what he means to me. It’s always nice to know that you are not alone in your feelings! Thank you again for your beautiful story of Kuma” - Christina T.
“This is the best book I have ever read on love and loss of a beloved dog. I read it last Dec. just as I was about to say goodby to my sweet girl of 13 years . . . Scott and Kuma, you helped me thru, giving me courage and strength.” - Lynne S.
“I read this book last week. It was a beautiful journal of a wonderful relationship between a man and his dog. I could feel his pain.” - Sharon R.
“I just started reading this book and I love it. My 16 year old cat passed away and he meant the world to me. Grief is real. Sorry about your lost. A great read.”- Donna C.
“I loved your book . . . It is beautifully written. I laughed and cried so many times. It reminded me so much of my beloved Murphy.” - Christi B.
“Great book. So loved it. This is the best book I’ve ever read.” - Kathryn H.
“Thank You for this beautiful inspirational Story of the Love you and your Family had and still do for Kuma. The Love we have for them never leaves us, our Hearts and Souls, it hopefully keeps us going till we can someday be with them. The comment you made in the book that you were a better person with Kuma then without will stay with me Forever.” -Debbie S.
Available NOW on Amazon and any bookstore in the U.S.
If you have any questions about the book, you can email me at scottkuma1214@gmail.com. And if you enjoy reading “The Blue Leash,” please take a moment to leave a star (and/or written) review on Amazon. Thank you.
The Blue Leash: A Year of Mourning
Have you ever treated your dog like a human? Were some of the best moments in your life shared with your dog? Then how do you think you will react when they die? And how might you mourn their passing? The Blue Leash began as a tribute to my dog, Kuma, and my struggle to reconcile his death, but it soon led me to examine the roots of my sorrow and redefine my identity. In the process, The Blue Leash paints a one-of-a-kind relationship most dog owners might find remarkably familiar, and offers a path of healing, from the loss of your closest, furriest friend to anyone who has left an indelible mark on your life.
“This beautifully written roller coaster of emotions will have you laughing, crying and exploring your own relationships, whether they be with human companions or the 4-legged ones. The author’s command and love of language is evident throughout as he explores the meaning of love and loss.” (Review by Leelee on Amazon)
From Journal#2 -
“I’m seriously mourning the loss of my dog. Not when my uncle hanged himself. Not when my best friend was murdered in Belize. Not when my mother and father died. No one’s passing has felt this deep, this disorienting. Kuma’s death blindsided me, and I don’t know why.”
“The story of Kuma is a beautifully written memoir about family and mourning and the stories we create to sustain ourselves.”
- Dawn Raffel, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Couney”
“On earth, we are destined to know pain and suffering, to feel hopeless and lost, but to experience mutuality and loyalty? To share solitude and stability? It was a gift.”
- The Blue Leash
“While I agree, this is a book for dog companions, and a guidebook for navigating their departure, it speaks well to the very nature of loss and the value of taking the time, and the walks, we need to heal, learn and grow . . . and never forget.”
Paul E. Pierce, Strategic Thinking, Process Improvement
From the night Kuma died, I felt compelled to walk his favorite routes every day and write about his life every night for one year. Beginning with the mythical history of Kuma's origin to his last interview with Rolling Stone, I've applied different genres of storytelling to illustrate Kuma's mythical spirit, and the profound significance his life and death have had in helping me reclaim my past, my present and my future. Told through a unique narration of true stories, fictional tales, poetry and journal entries, it stands as a tribute and a mourning that hopefully resonates with each reader with an occasional tear and a smile. The Blue Leash: A Year of Mourning is on sale now on Amazon and Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena (both locations).
About the author:
Scott DoVale grew up in Danbury, Connecticut. In 1976, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and lived in kitchens for the next twenty-four years. He wrote his first play, “Voices in the Dark,” in 1991, which was performed in Hollywood and awarded a grant from the Los Angeles Dept. of Cultural Affairs. He returned to college at forty, taught American literature in high school for nineteen years, and while earning his Masters in Creative Writing at CalState Northridge, he wrote his second play, “ Fascinum Wireless.” He currently lives in Pasadena, California and writing his second book, “Heartless.”
Illustration by Amy Wang