A Widow, a Chihuahua, and Harry Truman: A Story of Love, Loss, and Love Again

by Mary Beth Crain

In despair after losing her husband of three years to cancer, Mary Beth finds a renewed sense of love and hope in the writings of her idol Harry Truman, and his namesake, a tiny chihuahua.

Genres: Dogs, Pets, Nonfiction

201 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Mary Beth Crain is the author of Haunted U.S. Battlefields. Her other books include the Los Angeles Times best-selling memoir A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman and Guardian Angels

Reviews

[Poiema]

I bought this book on a visit to Independence, MO, the home of Harry Truman. It has a catchy title and a cute cover and I thought it sounded promising. The Chihuahua should have appeared first in the title; Truman the dog was definitely the hero of this story.

I get how a teensy, wiggly puppy could be a great boon for a grieving widow, but in my opinion this doggy was petted, pampered, and paraded to the point of nausea. Too much syrupy, saccharine devotion lavished on this precious pup.

I'll admit there were a few laugh-out-loud funny scenes, as well as a few thoughtful moments related to grief recovery. And even less content related to the "real" Harry Truman, after whom the Chihuahua was named.

If you have birthday parties for your pooch, or buy him designer clothes--- you'd probably enjoy this book. Mine is going to the thrift shop (the book! Not the dog)

[Charlotte]

I don't feel right leaving a review on someone's memoir but I do want to say that the R word is used three times in this book and for me that is a non-starter. Having been written in 2000 there is no excuse. I also didn't realize it was a memoir, I thought it was going to be a fun fiction story about a Chihuahua. It is not that.

[Helen Campbell]

The author addresses all three of the topics listed in the book's title: her widowhood after only three short years of marriage, the tiny puppy she acquired and that became a major asset to her recovery from grief, and her admiration for ex-president, Harry Truman, and his outlook on life. Blended together, these elements helped her build a new life for herself.

[Claudia]

I'm not sure what I expected when I started this book beyond it had a chihuahua in it.

What I got was a story of a woman who managed to find her 'great love', how she dealt with the grief of his loss on their third anniversary and eventually moved on. How this cat person was enchanted by a small chihuahua puppy on Christmas. How a little dog that took her places she had never planned on going - Dog Obedience School! - helped make new friends, re-learn how to laugh and not be afraid to love.

Where does Harry Truman come in? She admired President Truman. Turned to him for inspiration and courage in various situations and a quote to start each chapter.

I can see the actions of my various chihuahuas in her stories about Truman growing up. Some of the situations Mary Beth finds herself in are horrifying, amusing, charming and sometimes unfortunate (dressing him up in a leather bomber jacket with scarf to attend a costumed birthday/Halloween party). But she would learn something from each situation especially the unconditional love even as he try to take her place as alpha dog.

A enjoyable story. One that would appeal to dog lovers. Perhaps even for those who have lost a loved one even if is to read another story about moving through the stages of grief.

[Carole]

This book was a sweet tale about a widow who was helped along her journey of grief by Truman, a chihuahua she purchased on impulse after her husband's death. I enjoyed reading about the joy Truman brought to her life and can relate to that feeling as I'm a widow myself. Some of her descriptions of grief seemed to be an attempt at humor, which fell a bit flat for me, but it could be my own sensitivity in this area. Overall, it was a good book and it reminds me of how much I treasure my little dog who thinks the sun rises and sets on everyone in my family.

[Marty]

. Having once had a Chihuahua as a pet, and being a big admirer of Harry Truman, the title of this book intrigued me. I may not have purchased it if I had noticed the cover also said “A story of love, loss, and love again.” and that it was non-fiction. I’m glad I missed that statement because I did like the book. Mary Beth Crain found a wonderful fulfilling love, but then lost it after three much to short years. She was totally bereft and lost in her grief… until she met a cute Chihuahua puppy. She did not want a dog; never had one and both she and her late husband much preferred cats, …. But something about this little 3 pound puppy called to her. After saying “no” for two weeks, she finally went back and bought the puppy. She had no idea what she was getting into. Her three cats were not happy to have the new “brother.” “Truman” as he was named, certainly took over the house. The concept of “doing his business” outside was totally foreign to him and so he did it wherever he pleased. She was warned by other dog owners that she must be the Alpha Dog! “don’t let him get away with things”…. But she didn’t seem to be able to get the idea across to Truman that she – not he – was the boss. With Truman, she didn’t have time to give in to her grief : --he kept her hopping. Through Truman she met interesting people and began to live again. Yes, it was a story of love, loss, and love again, but one also filled with humor.

[Clark]

I just happened to see this book on the shelf in a public library. I love chihuahuas and thought what the heck. I have found that I love books about chihuahuas now. I liked the way Crain wrote how her pet Truman made her feel. I was curious to read about what it was like to loose your spouse. I just lost my wife's mother and wondered how it must feel like to be my wife's father. I thought Crain was very honest about her life and I appreciated that. Now that I read this book I'm going to look for more books with chihuahuas in them.

[Stephen Wallace]

This is a book about a lady dealing with the loss of her husband. Overall a good book, but as a straight dog book it is a 3 out of 5. I liked the parts referring to Harry Truman. I even liked the story parts on her cats. The chihuahua was a little interesting but then it got into spoiled dog details and that is not something I appreciate. Even though I could relate as I had a puppy while reading it. Not a great book to me, but not a bad read. If you are looking for a dog book, look for another book. If you have a chihuahua or dealing with loss, it may be a very good book to you.

[Debra]

When Mary Beth lost her beloved husband Adam after only a few years of marriage, she felt cheated by love. An encounter with a little chihuahua with big ears and an even bigger heart became the catalyst to help her recover from her grief and love again. She named her new love Truman, after her favorite president, and the text of this inspiring story is sprinkled with wisdom from Harry Truman. A good read for widows, dog lovers and Harry Truman fans.

[Sj Lee]

This book was about a cat loving woman who went through a divorce and later became a dog lover due to an endless love given by this little chihuahua. The story was interesting until the half of the book. Then I got bored. Probably it was because she was not a professional writer. But it made me proud of owning a chihuahua.

[Linda Spyhalski]

I loved this book! A story of true love, loss and finding love again with a typical Chihuahua named Truman after President Harry Truman. The quotes from President Truman were so enjoyable as were the stories of his namesake Truman the Chihuahua. Very fun read!

[Diana Petty-stone]

An absolutely charming book full of wisdom.

[Nancy Hansen]

This book was OK but I feel someone who has a dog would appreciate it much more than I did.

[Robin Roberts]

Light hearted and funny