“Anne Abel’s memoir Mattie, Milo, and Me is a beautifully written testament to the journey of dog ownership. This memoir takes you on an emotional ride that anyone who has loved a pet can surely identify with. You’ll laugh, cry, and want to hug your dog by the end. A must-read!”

“Not every book a person reads is worth time and energy. Mattie, Milo, and Me a memoir, by Anne Abel, is a rare combination: an absorbing, well-told tale that also leaves the reader changed in an unexpected and positive way. This is not just a book about an aggressive and abandoned rescue dog and the woman who courageously rescued him. This is also a book about love and hope; despair and depression. It is an entertaining and absorbing story on one level, and on another level, a deep dive into love and loss, hope and redemption, and what gives life meaning.”

“Mattie, Milo, and Me by Anne Abel is a touching story that made me smile with joy. Yet the heartbreak around loss touched my heart as well. The joy, the comfort that Anne experienced with Mattie and then with Milo filled the pages. The joy of loving and the pain of losing them was heartfelt. The mutual love that the Abel family experienced with each other was real, honest, and unconditional, even as Anne dealt with her mother’s inability to express the human connection of a mother’s love. This story shows us how love and sorrow are so intertwined.”

“I love Anne Abel’s memoir, Mattie, Milo, and Me. It had me laughing out loud. Yet, it so touching that it had me in tears, too. This book is brilliant. Anne’s resilience with Milo is admirable and inspirational. And her joys and struggles, relatable. I learned a lot. I highly recommend.”

“Mattie, Milo, and Me is a tender story with opposite emotional strings. One is: love denied by emotionally abusive parents, the other is: love received from a very caring husband and beloved sons. Through steadfast determination and a loving heart, the writer’s lifelong quest to be a good mother is realized in both the human and animal realms. Most of all it spins a loving tale of how dogs bring true joy, healing, and comfort to us. Mattie, Milo, and Anne were true gifts to each other.”

“… a certain kind of pet lover, looking for a comforting reminder of the powerful bond that can occur between animals and humans, may finish this book teary-eyed.”

“Mattie, Milo and Me is a warm memoir about a woman’s connection to—and transformation because of—her dog.”

“Abel debuts with a heart-warming memoir spotlighting the intense bond between dogs and their owners. . . . Animal lovers will relish the central role that Abel’s pets play in her wellbeing throughout the narrative.”

“A moving and fearless exploration of resilience, atonement, and the healing power of the link between people and their furry companions. Abel’s writing is both introspective and heart-wrenchingly honest.”