REVIEW: A Heartbeat at My Feet by Kristin Judd
Fate has a sense of humor in this witty, heartfelt tale of love and second chances told in two perspectives—a woman in midlife desperate for something new, and a lost dog seeking his purpose.
After years of dreams deferred, Josie Ballard’s life is about to change. She and her husband are off to Sorrento for a summer adventure, but on the eve of their departure, Josie discovers his infidelity. Devastated, she leaves her faithless husband, heading for the sun-drenched Italian coast. Alone, future unknown.
Five thousand miles away, Cicero, a rather snobbish terrier of indeterminate breeding, is likewise living an upturned life after his beloved human’s passing. Heartbroken, he wanders the wilds of Pompeii. When a flustered tourist with a kind smile appears in the ruins, clutching her tote bag and map, Cicero and Josie collide like the two lost souls they are.
In a series of turns as twisty as Sorrento’s streets, Cicero leads Josie to her second act: Hugo, a charming and somewhat contrary local bookseller. Against a backdrop of quaint villages, sun-dappled olive orchards, and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, Hugo and Josie embark on a friendship that just might tiptoe into romance, with little Cicero to help them along the way—for dogs, he reasons, are nothing if not experts when it comes to love.
CW/TW – stroke, infidelity
Dear Ms. Judd,
That cover is just lovely and of course I needed to see what’s behind it. For anyone who ever dreamed of really getting away from it all or getting a second chance at life and love, here you go. This one’s for you.
Josie is excited that her dream vacation to Italy for two months is just days away. Then she discovers her husband’s secret and her life crashes. But she has the strength to say I’m going and don’t follow me. Still Josie is honest with herself about the fact that she’s nervous of going to a different country, not speaking the language, not really knowing the customs, and navigating international airports and trains.
Cicero is desolate but not going to be like the other stray dogs in Pompeii. Cicero is a gentleman who was adopted by a gentleman. Only Giorgio died and now Cicero has been abandoned by the bastardo – aka Hugo, Giorgio’s estranged son. Then he spies a lone lady wandering through Pompeii and comes to her rescue. Soon the two are a pair. But what happens when Hugo appears and claims Cicero? Josie, Hugo, Cicero, and yes, Giorgio have to do a lot of self examination and discovery.
This is a book for dog lovers, especially if you’re willing to accept first-dog narration. It’s also for middle aged people who have thought their lives were settled and steady only to have the rug pulled out from under them. I was proud of Josie for walking – with dignity – out of the family home after finding out her husband’s plans and then heading out overseas despite her nervousness. This was her dream and she was not going to give it up.
And yet, I can also understand why, when she thinks about her marriage, she gets sad and thinks that if he makes up, she might take Mark back. It’s what she knows, she’s thought she has a good marriage for twenty years, there are lots of good memories and they share a wonderful son. It takes a lot to be ready to throw all that to the curb before at least properly grieving for it. Also good on her for taking her courage in her hands and going out to the sites and spots she mapped out for her trip. I could almost see her belief in herself growing.
Cicero quickly takes to Josie and is thrilled that Giorgio still appears – but only to him. When Hugo arrives on the scene, Josie quickly learns that Cicero despises this man though it will take a while for her to learn why or for Cicero to see that maybe Giorgio didn’t know his son as well as he thought and perhaps Cicero can be in the same room with the man and not growl.
Hugo finds out that perhaps his belief that he has never been truly loved either by the mother who left the family, the brother who was a bully, the wife who wasn’t interested enough in the marriage, or the father he thought – for Reasons – didn’t love him isn’t quite true. The way this happens just Has To Be Believed but it still brought a tear to my eye.
When faced with her past and a problem at home, it appeared that Josie might have to give up her new freedom and future. Hooray for her father. I love her dad and her son is a winner, too.
The story has its characters examining their lives. There are tough moments but also heartfelt ones. I think their outcomes and happiness are earned. The descriptions of Sorrento and other towns in the area as well as the wonderful people who also show Hugo such love and how much his father really loved him – another teary moment part – are delightful. This is a sweet, gentle story I’m happy I read. B
~Jayne
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Aw. Thanks, Jayne.
Good heavens, I bought it last week.
@Darlynne: Yep, I’ve nearly bought things twice. That’s one good thing about Amazon. They do remind you.
Thank you for reviewing this book. I read it a few weeks ago and I loved it. It makes me happy that perhaps more readers will discover this absolutely charming story.
A dog lover!
@mn reader: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. It’s a lovely story. I’m a dog lover too although now I only have cats as age is getting to me but I still give dogs skritches when I’m out on my walks through the neighborhood.
Just ordered this from Bookshop.org. I buy holiday/birthday presents as I find them, and I know just who to give it to. My sister works for the Humane Society, and while it’s a little past her July birthday, it will make an awesome Christmas present. Thanks so much for calling it to my attention.
@Susan/DC: You’re like my mother. She’s always got gifts stashed all over the place and often forgets she’s bought them until she finds them again.
I love finding the perfect gift for someone. Bless your sister for helping animals.
@Jayne, thank you for your review bringing this to my attention. It was a lovely story.
With respect to dogs and aging, my friend advised several years ago that it was time for us to adopt small dogs, not great furry beasts.
@LML: Well, I’m a great furry beast fan. Over the years I’ve had a Dobermann, a collie (when I walked him, kids in the neighborhood would yell “Lassie, Lassie!), and 4 Borzoi.
@Jayne, aren’t Dobies wonderful? Following decades of great furry beast preference, I was surprised at how dearly I loved our 16 pound, three-legged former street-dog. We took him to the vet to be euthanized before infection from a dangling broken leg made him suffer longer and the vet said “come back at 6:00 to take him home”.
@Jayne: I have a shelf in a closet where I put the gifts, so I don’t forget where the gifts are. I even periodically but erratically organize my purchases and put them in bags in the closet labelled DIL or grandchild or whomever. Despite that, what can and sometimes does happen is that when I’m out and about and see the perfect gift for Person A, I forget that I’ve already bought something (or more than one something) for that someone. I then wind up with 3 gifts for Person A and nothing for Person B. Not the worst problem to have, but it does mean that, despite all my advance shopping, I still have to rush at the last minute to fill in any gaps. So I can identify with your mother.
@LML: What a lucky dog and what a good vet. A neighbor has a small “doodle” dog who is adorable. Sometimes I look at that dog and think, “hmmmm” but then she goes on an outside barking jag or I look outside when it’s raining or think about walking a dog when it’s 98 degrees and 95% humidity and realize … yeah, cats.