Galina Petrovna’s Three-Legged Dog Story

Galina Petrovna’s Three-Legged Dog Story
Andrea Bennett

The ‘bonkers’ book that 'it is impossible not to be moved by' DAILY MAILA joyful and hilarious tale of some very spirited septuagenarians as they overcome innumerable obstacles to save their beloved mutt from a heartless exterminator in a land where bureaucracy reigns above all else.Perhaps you’re not a member of the Azov House of Culture Elderly Club?Perhaps you missed the talk on the Cabbage Root Fly last week?Galina Petrovna hasn’t missed one since she joined the Club, when she officially became old. But she would much rather be at home with her three-legged dog Boroda. Boroda isn’t ‘hers’ exactly, they belong to each other really, and that’s why she doesn’t wear a collar.And that’s how Mitya the Exterminator got her.And that’s why Vasily Semyonovich was arrested.And Galina had to call on Zoya who had to call on Grigory Mikhailovich.And go to Moscow.Filled to the brim with pickle, misadventure and tears, Galina Petrovna’s Three-Legged Dog Story will leave you smiling at every page.

Copyright (#ufcc2544a-d8a8-513d-a6e9-3c79813728c0)

The Borough Press

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

Copyright © Andrea Bennett 2015

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015

Cover illustration by Barry Falls

Andrea Bennett asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008108380

Ebook Edition © 2015 ISBN: 9780008108397

Version: 2015-06-17

Dedication (#ufcc2544a-d8a8-513d-a6e9-3c79813728c0)

For my family, especially Louis

Author’s Note (#ufcc2544a-d8a8-513d-a6e9-3c79813728c0)

In the 1990s, there was a three-legged dog called Boroda, who wore no collar and lived in Azov with an old Russian lady who worked hard on her dacha.

However, everything else in this book, while inspired by my memories of the people and geography of Russia, is a work of fiction, and should be treated as such.

Contents

Cover (#u30d3e544-5bca-59b5-bb82-eb001b78f7f1)

Title Page (#ue6dca9af-541f-5d04-8655-f933647b6480)

Copyright

Dedication

Author’s Note

Glossary

1. A Typical Monday Afternoon

2. The Azov House of Culture Elderly Club

3. Mitya the Exterminator

4. A Chase

5. A Visit

6. The Plan

7. Grigory Mikhailovich

8. A Train Ride

9. A Rescue

10. Guests

11. A Date with Mitya

12. A Letter from Vasya

13. Mitya’s Angel

14. The Ministry

15. Deep in the SIZO

16. A Minor Triumph

17. The Cheese Mistress

18. The Third Way

19. A Dog’s Life

20. The Return