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<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><b>Move over, Marley: here comes Zelda, a scruffy, high-spirited dog struggling to survive in the mean streets of India -- until she charms her way into an American family and goes on to fame and glory in Paris, Italy, and California Wine Country.</b></p> <p>In India, wild scavenging street dogs are considered the lowest of the low. Shopkeepers swat them away with brooms. Mothers scream at them and kick them away from their kids. Taxi drivers often drive straight at them and even run them down. After a little time in India you can understand why: These dogs can be vicious, and many carry nasty infections and disease, including rabies. Not surprisingly, most of these dogs come to a miserable end.</p> <p>This is the story of one lowly street dog who was determined to do better. One day, while roaming the streets of New Delhi and begging for something, anything to eat, she found her way to the backdoor of Paul Chutkow and his very pregnant wife Eda. Paul wanted no part of this mangy mutt; India was in the throes of a major political crisis, their first child was on the way, and this dog promised to be nothing but trouble.</p> <p>But this little beast had charm, humor, and a magnificent spirit: if beg she must, she would do so with dignity and her best paw forward. For Paul and Eda, there was simply no resisting her. Soon, Zelda was an essential part of their young family, and before long she was on her way to Paris and a life far beyond anyone's dreams: with royal care, gourmet meals, and heavenly summers on the island of Sardinia. At first, her Parisian neighbors shunned the lowly mutt and wished she'd go away. But when Zelda alertly captured a very high-end wine thief -- only in France! -- she won every heart in the neighborhood and was promptly crowned "The Queen of Paris." What a girl! What a story! And what a delightful addition to the wealth of dog books that so many American readers love and cherish!</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>"Zelda is an exquisitely charming tale of redemption through the wiles of a mangy Indian slum dog. Slum dog! Yes. I read this irresistible book in one sitting, and now slum dogs are my favorite breed of mutt." -- John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil</p> <p>"A grungy street dog turned world adventurer, with breeding, class and spirit that comes from who knows where, Zelda is always out front, leading the Chutkow clan in this delightful tale from New Delhi to Paris to the wine country of Northern California. This dog's got good karma!"-- Richard Mendelson, author of Appellation Napa Valley, Building and Protecting an American Treasure.</p> <p>"In the era of Marley and Me and the dozens of imitators who jumped onto the dog memoir bandwagon, this gem stands out... This slum dog who rises above her humble beginnings will win over even the most cynical reader." -- San Francisco Book Review</p> <p>"Zelda gained renown in Paris when she helped police apprehend a burglar. Suddenly she was the 'Queen of Paris' and 'the very picture of European refinement.' And yet, writes the author, 'she remained the high-spirited, impulsive Indian street girl, charming, capricious, and totally untamed, just as she had been born to be.'"-- Kirkus Reviews</p> <p>"Droll and tender. Zelda, Reine de Paris is a delicious dog story but it is far more than that. Behind the portrait of his beloved Zelda, Paul Chutkow takes us inside his journey as a foreign correspondent, as a lover of France, and as a friend of such diverse characters as Mother Teresa, Raymond Aron, the French writer and philosopher, and Gérard Depardieu, a beast as shaggy and colorful as Zelda herself."-- The French newsweekly, L'Express</p> <p> "This is much more than a dog story. Zelda was a treasured pet of a foreign correspondent, and as a result she was able to rise from an endangered life on the streets of India, to the comforts of Paris and the Napa Valley. This is truly a wonderful, positive book for all who believe in the redemptive powers of relationships, both human and animal." -- Peter J. Cohen, renowned collector of vernacular photography</p> <p>"This is a captivating tale that weaves history, the joy of life, food, and raising a family into a gem that will stay with you. This has it all, drama, comedy, the human condition... Finish it in an evening then take your dog for a walk and you'll feel this story."-- Jon Gregory, author of Run for The Money</p><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Paul Chutkow and his many books have enjoyed enormous success here and abroad. His Depardieu, published by Alfred Knopf, was "among the finest books ever written about film acting," (Kirkus Reviews) and there were bestselling editions in France, Britain and Germany. Paul then ghost-wrote Harvests of Joy, Robert Mondavi's acclaimed memoir, with editions in Japan and South Korea. Then came Visa, The Power of an Idea, the inside story of the global credit card revolution; and most recently The Best We Can Be, the biography of Joseph Phelps, the Napa Valley pioneer.

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