cover image Maya's First Rose: Diary of a Very Special Love

Maya's First Rose: Diary of a Very Special Love

Martin Scot Kosins. Villard Books, $14.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-679-43013-1

This extraordinary work is the moving chronicle of a man and his dog. Complying with the wish of his new wife more than 20 years ago, composer-pianist Kosins bought a shepherd-boxer puppy, Maya. Five years later, the wife had gone but Maya stayed, gradually becoming the most important companion in the world to the author. Over the years, Maya's hind legs gave out; Kosins built a ramp for her and carried her to favorite places. When she had a stroke, he fed her by hand. Assured by his sympathetic veterinarian that Maya was not in pain, Kosins halted his career to devote all his time to his dog until she died in his arms at the age of 17. Kosin's story is an eloquent, poetic expression of grief. Few pet owners will read it dry-eyed. (Jan.)