Short description
A distillation of diaries compiled when the author lived beside Putney Common. They note the changing seasons and her encounters with dogs and their owners, and offer a portrait of life in a small community which combines the splendours of nature with gossip, illicit romances and jealousies.
Review
From 1972 to 1982, before the family moved to Gloucestershire and she became a number-one blockbuster novelist, Jilly Cooper lived in Putney, five miles from London's Hyde Park, and surprisingly rural. Each day she walked on Putney Common with dogs, children, friends, neighbours, and occasionally husband Leo. She kept a diary of her growing attachment to the place, the people, the community atmosphere and its small dramas: everyday stuff, but highly diverting. This is a very endearing and vulnerable Jilly, before she became 'outrageous' (though there are hints of what's to come...). Fans will love it - especially dog-lovers. (Kirkus UK)