A New Leash on Life: A Remedy for Healing After Loss by Donna Kutzner is a one-of-a-kind self-help book led by Midas, a feisty golden retriever. Perfect for young readers, Midas is a gentle guide who teaches valuable lessons about life, death, abandonment and emotional well being. Using snippets from his own life growing up as the runt of the litter, to losing his mother and eventually being adopted, Midas is determined to help any reader who has reached the end of their own leash. He leads the reader through the stages of grief, and each chapter is filled with worksheets for the reader on how to combat these as he urges the reader to face their feelings full on instead of ignoring them and eventually making things worse. Midas is not only a dog with unconditional love, deep devotion and true loyalty, he is a dog who has suffered big losses in his life. In this book, he teaches us some of life’s most valuable lessons. He will show you how to stop barking up the wrong tree by giving tools to help you overcome grief and loss.
Do you feel like you have reached the end of your leash with nowhere else to go? That is what happened to Midas. He tried to ignore his feelings but that didn’t solve anything. In fact, it made things worse. Pretending that things were alright didn’t make them go away. Healing began once he decided to stop cowering away in the comfort of his dog house and take action. You’re invited to join him in his story. Together, you will learn how to recover from losses and pain.
“This is a beautiful book with lovely illustrations that offers real, nonjudgmental and effective healing strategies for those who’ve suffered losses. Most highly recommended.” — Jack Magnus
“A simple yet powerful collection of words and images that is sure to stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. A warm and much-needed guide.” — Kayti Nika Raet
