C.H. Allen Clark lives with a menagerie of animals, including Archie, a 20-pound Shih Tzu and one of eight house pets. He is known as the “Big Ragu” of the abode. Call him “Lefty of the Leftovers,” “Fatty of All Known Feasts,” and “Cat Pervert Extraordinaire.”

Archie is the inspiration behind many of Clark’s poems, and his short stories are inspired by his ancestors who lived through the Civil War. It’s a collection of humorous, sad, and enlightening prose that will appeal to animal lovers and history buffs alike.

All of those animals, the thirteen dogs and nine horses as well as twenty cats, seem to be our destiny. “One day, I will saddle up the old bay mare with the walker on top and then ride off into the sunset. Where will I ride? I know not where. Perhaps, I will ride to my destiny.