Rating: [rate 5.0]

John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.

Marley quickly grew into a barreling, 97-pound streamroller of a Labrador Retriever, a dog like no other.  He crashed through screen doors, gouged into drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women’s undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good —Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, “Don’t hesitate to use these.”

And yet, his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. He shared the couple’s joy at first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a 17-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at wit’s end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

I don’t really consider myself as an animal lover, much less of a dog lover. I find them cute and our dog is probably one of the sweetest pets I’ve ever had, but I’m not the one who’d go out of her way to own animals and be instant friends with them.

But when I saw this book looking at me at BestSellers (plus the fact that I’ve seen some reviews of this and I hear it’s a great book…I just had to pick it up.

And I was glad I did. This book is beautiful. It made me laugh (as in laugh out loud, not just in my head) and it made me cry, it touched me in more ways than one. I love how it’s not just about the dog, but also about the author’s family. I love how he described all of Marley’s escapades, how he has the capability to destroy their house with his rowdiness and his enthusiasm (good thing they have home insurance!). Most of all, I love how Marley was loyal to them and how loyal they were to Marley until the very end. I was crying hard by the last few chapters, and after reading this, I wanted to hug Batman, our dog. It touched me so deeply that I was affected about Marley for an entire day!

This book displays what unconditional love is. The couple could have easily given up on Marley after a few days of him being the rowdy dog he is, but they didn’t. And in return, Marley showed them what the true meaning of loyalty is. :) My personal favorite in the book would be when Marley proved to be a fierce dog when needed, during the stabbing incident of one of their neighbors. Truly, Marley is a great dog. :)

I hope the movie does justice to this book! If you haven’t read this one yet, go and get yourself a copy and read! You’ll want to hug your dog afterwards. :D