After living in a Singapore dog shelter for five years, Gucci – a vaguely Dalmatian-like crossbred – is losing hope of ever being rescued. One day to his surprise he is adopted by her, a writer, and moves to inner city Sydney. On arrival, however, an anti-dog war breaks out in their apartment block; Gucci’s owner receives a letter threatening the possibility of ‘euthanasia’. The incident triggers nightmares in her and brings back distressing childhood memories. My Name Is Gucci is a charming novel about the relationships between pets and their owners and about how the past shapes the present. This bold ex-shelter dog narrated fable beautifully unravels Gucci’s and his adopter/guardian’s secrets, which have been intertwined for decades through their recurring reincarnations.
Honestly, I do judge a book by its cover. When I saw this book with the simple white background and a portrait of a cute little dog, I was totally caught up by it.
The book unpacks the stories through Gucci’s memories of his past and current lives. The story begins in a dog shelter in Singapore where Gucci is adopted by his owner. The owner believed it was quite by accident that she came across the social media post featuring a black-and-white Singapore Special. But what she didn’t know is that they are meant to be together.
The bond which ties Gucci, and his owner together is profound. Gucci has been reborn three times during the owner’s present life. All three rebirths were dogs, and all had one absolute karmic duty—to help her (the owner) to collect and rekindle the shattered smithereens of inyeon (destiny) that she had long lost. From here on, through Gucci’s eyes we learn about the many lives that he shared with his owner.
My name is Gucci is a heartwarming book. It reminds us that the animals we welcome into our lives may be there waiting for us for long time to be able to walk alongside us as we face life’s most challenging journeys.
