Destination: Barbados

Book: The Diplomatic Dog of Barbados by Winfred Peppinck

A MONTHLY GUEST POST

by JESSIE VOIGTS of  WANDERING EDUCATORS

I am so happy to share a wonderful book today, [amazonify]1905513232::text::::The Diplomatic Dog of Barbados [/amazonify], written by Winfred Peppinck.

Diplomatic Dog of the Barbados

The Diplomatic Dog of Barbados is a joy to read — full of life on the island of Barbados, intercultural snapshots, stories of the diplomatic life, and most importantly, the great love of a family. Rescued as a young, abused pup, the cane dog who was eventually named the Diplomatic Dog came to enjoy a life of great joy and security. He grew into such confidence and happiness that it just makes the reader smile. Often I prefer not to read books about pets, since you know the ending (sad!).  However, this one is a gem.

The book is quite humorous, and I was often laughing aloud at the images of DD swimming, running, chasing monkeys, and of course playing. The book also portrays a first-hand glimpse into the diplomatic life. Peppinck was the Australian High Commissioner to the Caribbean and he shows us a bit of the challenges and daily life – and the perks – of the job. It was quite interesting to read of the political issues of location, parties, famous people – and then relax with Winfred and Miss Wendy – and DD and Miss Lucy – when the curtain closed on the day and it was just family.

Here is an excerpt from our interview with Winfred – you can read the rest here at Wandering Educators Book Reviews.

Wandering Educators: Please tell us about your book, the Diplomatic Dog of Barbardos.

Winfred Peppinck: From 2001-2004, I was the Australian High Commissioner/Ambassador to the Caribbean, based on the beautiful island of Barbados. My partner, Wendy, and I lived in a magnificent house, set on a few acres of land, surrounded by the prestigious Sandy Lane Golf Course with views down to the Caribbean Sea. Wendy wanted to get a dog, and having had a pedigreed one during her previous marriage, she sought another German Short-Haired Pointer. I persuaded her that we should instead get a rescue dog which needed a home. She therefore found a Barbados ‘cane dog’ (a mongrel born in the sugar-cane fields of Barbados) which had been caught on one of the famous beaches, and had spent over a year in the Rescue Shelter because he was labeled “aggressive”. We think that he bit people largely because he had been abused and stoned as a puppy.  The Diplomatic Dog of Barbados is therefore the story of how this outcast was brought from the junk-yard to mix with the jet-set who were a part of diplomatic life in the Caribbean. It is an anecdotal, quirky and funny-in-parts story of Diplomatic Dog (DD for short) who lived a sort of a male, canine Eliza Doolittle life, hiding and scavenging for a living, then suddenly finding shelter, food and love in abundance, on one of the most beautiful islands on earth.

Photo of Barbados through Creative Commons

Dr. Jessie Voigts

Dr. Jessie Voigts is the Publisher of  WanderingEducators.com and  contributes each month to A Traveler’s Library. She has a doctorate in International Education, and is passionate about intercultural learning. She and her husband are Worldschooling their daughter, and enjoying every minute of it. She is also a nature photographer and lives on a lake.

It is always fun to get a glimpse of what Jessie is up to over at Wandering Educators. But don’t stop with a glimpse. Scoot on over there and see what treasures they have in store for you. Back to this particular post, do you have a favorite pet book–and does it have the sad ending Jessie has come to expect?  I’ll start with a childhood favorite, Beautiful Joe. The book is about a very ugly dog, and it does have a sad ending, but it is beautifully told.

This content is a post from: A Traveler's Library To comment on this post or search for related information, click on the link to A Traveler's Library. We'll leave a light on for you.

©2012 A Traveler's Library. All Rights Reserved.