Lisa Peachey and Carol Elizabeth Long’s MILEY SPEAKS: A True Story of Love, Loss, Grief, and Reconnection is not a book that invites (nor will appeal to) skeptics. It takes the prospect of psychic connections and conversations with animals (both living and deceased) for granted, inviting the reader to pay attention to what is being said and what guidance is being offered. It will no doubt be of great comfort to those who have lost pets and want to be assured that their loved animal friends survive beyond the grave and have a spiritual existence beyond what we see of them in the flesh.

The conversations with the dogs seem to match the personalities their humans assign to them. Miley is the more assured, dominant voice; she describes herself as a “Commander,” and her people describe her during her lifetime as “firmly in charge” of the family. Sprout is somewhat more tentative and nervous, asking for assurance, for example, that he won’t be abandoned or called a “bad dog” (as he apparently was by previous, abusive owners in the past). Miley sounds less like a dog and more like a guardian spirit, which is perhaps easily explained—as she is now free of her canine body and limits, offering advice to her humans more often. The advice she offers, while sometimes vague and mystical in nature, seems reasonably wholesome: let go of worries and concerns, meditate more often, and offer a gentle presence free of stress and grief to Lisa’s mother (who was dying of Alzheimer’s during the time the book was written) to help her pass into the next life. The conversations Elizabeth has with Sprout also seem to offer some useful help in how to deal with relationships within the family. There are hints that he was previously ill-treated by men in particular, and his requests frequently center around wanting positive loving connections with his people—to be “included” and assured that he will not be left behind when everyone moves.

Whether this is actual psychic guidance or merely a sound grasp of animal psychology combined with astute observational skills, it seems to be helpful to the people and animals concerned. This book will appeal to, and provide comfort for, those with a deeply spiritual (though perhaps not conventionally religious) point of view—especially with regards to their beloved animal companions and friends.

Lisa Peachey and Carol Elizabeth Long’s MILEY SPEAKS: A True Story of Love, Loss, Grief, and Reconnection is a work that may offer some real comfort and guidance to believers in psychic correspondences and pet-lovers who feel a deep spiritual bond with the animals in their lives.

~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader