In this two-part series conversation with Julie Barton, New York Times bestselling author of the memoir, Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me from Myself, we learn more about her book, battle with depression, and intricate family dynamic. In episode one, she shares her family's story and how Bunker transformed her life.
Re-telling Their Story
Julie shares her personal story and how this has led her to write a memoir of this magnitude. She let us in on her memories with her mother and inspired some of her writing of Dog Medicine. She recalls the day her dog, Bunker, passed away. Amazingly, she also shares how the next day heard him tell her to write their story.
"The day after he died, I found out that I was a finalist in this fiction contest. I had never won the thing or been at all recognized for anything. So I got that email, and I looked it up - it was the day after I'd lost him. I just heard him say, 'tell our story, tell our story.' I remember thinking, I'll try. Then it took me another eight years to actually really sit down and do it or even start it. It was a very long process." - Julie Barton
Relieving the Burden
Julie opens up on how she approached her family and decided to ask them the questions she avoided her entire life. She shares how this experience for her was challenging, cathartic, and yet beautiful. Through her writing process, she looks at her past with a rearview mirror lens and accepts what happened in her childhood was not okay.

She discusses how releasing blame helped unburden herself and was the healing she needed.

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Beginning of Healing
In this topic, Julie shares her memories of the first time she received Bunker. She opens up and shares how she and Bunker formed a reciprocal relationship on a deep, spiritual, and connected level.

In addition, she also talked about her manuscript. She has gone from a small publishing house to a large one, and eventually, the New York Times bestsellers. Julie embarked on this emotional and fulfilling writing process with the hopes of reaching at least one girl who would read and relate to her story.
"It was the first morning of my life where I woke up and I didn't feel dread sitting on my chest, like a big, huge weight. I thought that this is how it could feel to wake up. You don't have to wake up and feel like, 'Oh God, not another day.' I'll never forget it. Bunker was lying in my childhood bedroom that morning. The first morning he woke up next to me and I was just so blown away by what I had never noticed was actually always there." - Julie Barton
To know more about Julie's story and her Cinderella publishing success, download and listen to this episode.
Bio:
Julie Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of DOG MEDICINE, HOW MY DOG SAVED ME FROM MYSELF (Penguin, 2016). She has a B.A. from Kenyon College, an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and an M.A. in Women's Studies from Southern Connecticut State University.

Julie has been published in Brain Child Magazine, The South Carolina Review, Louisiana Literature, Two Hawks Quarterly, Westview, The Huffington Post, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

She lives in Northern California with her husband Greg, two children, and small menagerie of pets.
Connect with Julie!
Web: ByJulieBarton

Facebook: fb/JulieBarton

Twitter: @juliebarton1111