“Apparently, it’s been several years since anyone has submitted a review of Codi’s Journey, published in 2010…so here’s one in 2022. I purchased and first read Jeff Maziarek’s wonderful book in 2012. It appealed to me because it was about a Border Collie named Codi, and my wife Sherry and I had rescued a 2+ years old Border Collie mix named Bud in 2011.
I loved the book so much that I kept it and reread it about five years later. Then midyear in 2022, I read Codi’s story for yet a third time. But there was a difference in my reading this year. For some reason, I emailed Jeff from the website address identified in the book concerning my in-progress third reading, never ever expecting that he would actually respond back. Amazingly, he did, and we emailed each other back and forth throughout July. I even sent Jeff pictures of our Bud.
Why did I read the book three times and reach out to Jeff multiple times…because of the parallel between Codi and Bud. Much of Jeff’s story resonated with our past experiences with Bud. And today as Bud is now 13+ years old and in failing health, the parallel continues. And for coincidence, Pam the animal communicator and Reiki practitioner who interacted with Codi several times, is the same person who has and continues to communicate with our Bud. Obviously, more parallel.
So what about this book is so special? Well first and foremost, it’s a true story. This true story is about Jeff and his wife Andrea’s acquisition of Codi as a puppy in June, 1992 and includes multiple pictures of Codi throughout her life. The story from here until April, 2004 is filled with the joy, laughter, and sometimes surprises of raising and owning a most intelligent and highly agility possessed Border Collie.
However in April, 2004, Codi is diagnosed with cancer. The story over the next year is the final leg of Codi’s real life journey as Jeff and Andrea search for cancer cures and ultimately deal with Codi’s impending death and how to make her later days as comfortable as possible.
Upon reaching the April, 2005 chapters of the book for the third time, I actually emailed Jeff that I was pausing my reading as I was just not presently emotionally able to relive these final days with Codi. I’m certain that our Bud now being 13 years old made this reading of Codi’s final days significantly different than my first two readings when Bud was younger and in much better health.
Although the ending is sad, it’s what happens when our loved dogger family members reach old age. And the grief that Jeff and Andrea experienced upon losing Codi is absolutely real and similar to that most all of us have experienced upon the loss of our special family dogs. It would not be right or realistic to not experience these feelings of mourning and grief.
I have read at least 25 or more dog novels by multitudes of authors since reading Codi’s Journey. Not one of them has touched me the way Codi’s Journey has…or will likely for the fourth reading someday in the future when we no longer have our beloved Bud.
For all of you who presently have that wonderful dog family member, or for those who have owned and loved one in the past, this book is for you. I truly believe that you too will not only keep the book but will read it again sometime in the future. Thanks Jeff for sharing Codi and her life with us.”
