The Good Good Pig
Sy Montgomery
Ballantine, Apr 2007, $13.95
ISBN: 0345496094

Ironically as a naturalist Sy Montgomery has traveled the globe, but of all the animals she has met in her travels, it was the runt of the pig litter in her hometown in New Hampshire who stole her heart and that of her spouse. As her beloved hero father was dying from cancer, Sy went back and forth between her New England home and her dad in Virginia. Each visit was heartbreaking. She obtained some solace when a sickly piglet able to fit inside a shoe box came home with her. She called him Christopher Hogwood; renovating the barn into a sty home for him. Sy knew Chris was safe with them as she is a vegetarian and her spouse a Jew. Over time as Christopher grew into 750 pounds of hog, he became more than the pet piglet who adopted the human couple in "runthood"; he brought joy to the area as THE GOOD GOOD PIG who the author believes taught her how to be human by sharing oneself with others.

This memoir showcases Ms. Montgomery's enlightenment brought to her by the pig, who steals the show; WC Fields sage adage of not to star with animals is disaffirmed as Christopher makes everyone from the Montgomery duo to the cops feeding him to children massaging him and the reader feel good. Readers will appreciate the intelligent writing that brings home the need of people and animals for self actualization through the love to and from others especially at those moments when with gusto someone gives Christopher a snack.

Harriet Klausner