From Bijou, her very first dog, to Chunkie and Knobbie, her favourite, and last, canine companions, Elizabeth von Arnim takes us through the complex journey of her life. From her Pomeranian idyll (encapsulated in her first novel, Elizabeth and Her German Garden ) to less happy days in London following the death of her first husband; from the solitude of her Swiss mountain hideaway, to World War I and a disastrous second marriage, her dogs (or lack of) were always vital to her. Through them, Elizabeth von Arnim offers observations on life and society.