conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is a description for a book titled My Animals and Other Family about British, Along, Princess with the genre: Crafts, Hobbies & Home, Pets & Animal Care?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: In this exceedingly British memoir that manages to be both eccentric and wise, the author reflects on growing up where horses were the family business. With a father who is not only a champion horse trainer but a royal trainer to boot, it was impossible to ever consider horses as anything other than the most important thing in their lives. Along with occasional diversions to salute some memorable dogs, the author writes of her years in the saddle from learning to ride on a docile pony to a confrontation with Princess Anne while racing as a teenager. Her grandmother is the very definition of acerbic (shades of Downton Abbey), her mother channels Louisa Durrell, and her little brother is a more than willing partner in crime. As for her father, the author makes clear he was the center around which their family orbited, and schedules for racing and training dominated their calendars. Even after she leaves for school, the author cannot resist his pull and competes at his prescribed jockey weight in search of the big win. In the end, she provides a funny, poignant, thoroughly enjoyable peek into the business of being a the author and her rollicking coming-of-age. --Colleen Mondor
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Swap the first and the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: --Colleen Mondor. With a father who is not only a champion horse trainer but a royal trainer to boot, it was impossible to ever consider horses as anything other than the most important thing in their lives. Along with occasional diversions to salute some memorable dogs, the author writes of her years in the saddle from learning to ride on a docile pony to a confrontation with Princess Anne while racing as a teenager. Her grandmother is the very definition of acerbic (shades of Downton Abbey), her mother channels Louisa Durrell, and her little brother is a more than willing partner in crime. As for her father, the author makes clear he was the center around which their family orbited, and schedules for racing and training dominated their calendars. Even after she leaves for school, the author cannot resist his pull and competes at his prescribed jockey weight in search of the big win. In the end, she provides a funny, poignant, thoroughly enjoyable peek into the business of being a the author and her rollicking coming-of-age.In this exceedingly British memoir that manages to be both eccentric and wise, the author reflects on growing up where horses were the family business.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the first four paragraphs for this book? Start with the sentence 'My Animals and Other Family
  Dad selected on a basis of see-buy'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: My Animals and Other Family
  Dad selected on a basis of see-buy. If it was in front of him—a handbag, a belt, a pair of gloves, a jar of jam—he would put it in the basket. I reckon department stores are laid out for men who are panic buying. That's why all those leather goods are there on the ground floor as soon as you walk through the door—so that men like my father can scoop up things they think their wife might like.
  I looked in Andrew's basket. There was a football and a packet of jelly sweets. He looked at me hopefully.
  While Dad counted the bills, Andrew shoved his new football in the bottom of a big shopping bag and covered it up with a dressing gown.
  It was my job to wrap the stocking when we got home and weed out some of the less desirable objects. It was also my job to keep all the receipts for the inevitable journey back to Camp Hopson in Newbury.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is four more paragraphs? Start with the sentence 'We wrote to each other every day (we were good at that) and I threw myself into university life, ensuring that I was always busy so that I did not have time to be terrified of where he was or what he might be doing'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: We wrote to each other every day (we were good at that) and I threw myself into university life, ensuring that I was always busy so that I did not have time to be terrified of where he was or what he might be doing. It was a triumph of action over thought.
  I watched the lunchtime and six o'clock news, hoping that there were no reports of Allied casualties. I waited for the letters, which arrived in batches of five or six at a time, and I rang his mother occasionally to see what she had heard. I was living parallel lives. One was the faithful girlfriend waiting and worrying, the other was the fresher student exploring an invigorating new world.
  Then, of course, there was the pull of home and the challenge of the championship. I had successfully persuaded the college of my need to have a car and, those first couple of weeks, I headed off to Newmarket at 5 a.m. to ride out for a trainer called David Morley. The effect this had on my ability to concentrate in lectures was fatal. By ten o'clock in the morning, my eyes felt as heavy as sheets of metal.
  Germaine Greer was in full flow—something to do with Shakespeare and his obsession with phallic symbols. I thought that if I just put my head on my arms on the desk, I would be able to take it in better. If I just...
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the last five paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: As I write this, Archie the Tibetan Terrier is asking for his evening walk. We live our days according to his needs, but I would admit that his needs suit us very well—a long walk in the morning, a shorter one in the evening. Breakfast in the morning, and tea at four o'clock on the dot. He sleeps on the bed at night and the sofa during the day. He is thoroughly spoiled and he is far from perfect, but he is part of the life that Alice and I have carved for ourselves. We wouldn't have it any other way.
  When it comes to the practicality of actually writing, I have been very lucky to have the kick up the backside I needed from Nicola Ibison at James Grant Group, who went on and on about it so much that it was easier to write than to tell her I wasn't. She hooked me up with the dashing and charming Ivan Mulcahy, who went through every comma of the early chapters and was there whenever I needed him. I like to think that I've helped him acknowledge and open up to the love of his life—a bichon frise called Charlie.
  At Penguin, Joel Rickett has been an absolute joy. He is kind, consistent and patient; I take his advice because he makes things better. Sarah Day did a brilliant job with the copyediting, and many thanks to Gill Heeley, who has drawn the wonderful illustrations for each chapter.
  JJ, Toby and Flora: I hope you enjoy reading about your daddy and Auntie Clare and that you have a childhood as fun as ours, but maybe without the stealing!
  Thank you to all the animals who have filled my life with happiness and love—especially Frank, for understanding me. Archie and Itty the cat have both watched me write, and I like to think they'd enjoy reading this, if they could. Walking Archie was essential, because it gave me space and time to think.