Literary critic Eileen Battersby foregoes the world of modern fiction to celebrate two of the greatest loves of her life – her dogs Bilbo and Frodo. The two became her loyal companions for more than 20 years and were more important to her than most other humans. She describes their personalities, emotions and prejudices with passion and insight. Battersby explains why, for some people, there is more integrity in the relationship with an animal than there is in most of the relationships that human society can offer.

Battersby is literary correspondent of The Irish Times and has been reviewing fiction since 1984. She has also written on all aspects of the arts.